John Bennett (athlete)

John Bennett
John Bennett in 1956
Personal information
Full nameJohn Dale Bennett
BornNovember 14, 1930 (1930-11-14) (age 94)
Grand Forks, North Dakota, U.S.
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1956 Melbourne Long jump

John Dale Bennett (born November 14, 1930) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the long jump. He was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He competed for the United States in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia in the long jump, where he won the silver medal. Bennett attended Marquette University and won two NCAA titles while competing for the school's track and field team.[1][2]

Bennett is the father of NASCAR talk show host Claire B. Lang, the "First Lady" of NASCAR Radio.[3]

  1. ^ "Monumental Moments: The Marquette Summer Olympics Story". gomarquette.com. Marquette University. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  2. ^ Miller, Tom (July 27, 2021). "Sixty-five years after winning Olympic silver, Grand Forks Central's John Bennett still enjoys the Games". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  3. ^ "Claire B Lang on Twitter: 'So totally proud of my Olympic Medal winning (Melborne '56 Long Jump Silver) dad John Bennett. Dad w Jesse Owens.'". August 17, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2022.