It’s not every day you get to talk with a real life Olympian! But it happened Wednesday with Matt and Tina in the Morning. Track and field gold medalist Dave Wottle called in to the show to talk about his ties to Wadsworth and his historic 800 meter run in the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.
Wottle lived in Wadsworth for a period of time where he trained as a professional runner. In 1973, Wottle was asked to be grand marshal of Wadsworth’s Blue Tip Parade and has a funny memory from the gig.
“I was excited to get involved in the community and was in good enough shape to carry a 4-foot match,” Wottle said. “But then all the fluid began running down my arms and with the torch lit, I’m thinking I’m going to catch fire and the parade-goers would be thinking it’s all part of the show.”
Wottle called Wadsworth “festive and beautiful” and said it was a “welcoming way to come into the community.”
We watched his historic run over and over on YouTube and sat at the edge of our seat in awe every time. When we asked Wottle when he knew he was going to win, he said he didn’t.
“It looks like I’m kicking it in high gear but they (the Kenyans) were slowing down to my speed…I was so nervous with 80,000 people and all the cameras that I felt like a wet noodle,” Wottle explained. “It was so nerve-racking. Then, all of a sudden the gun goes off and typically I just think of running but all I could think of was how nervous I still was.”
Wottle was always a miler, a mile runner, and to his own surprise, tied the 800 meter world record after running middle distance for only two months.
Recently, Wottle and his son went back to that track in Munich, Germany. Wottle stood on the track and flashed back to that amazing race day…a day he will never forget.
Today, Wottle lives in western Tennessee. He gave up running long ago because he was “tired and tired of training” and quit cold turkey. For fun, Wottle plays half court basketball and visits Ohio on occasion. He even said there’s a good possibility he’ll be coming to Wadsworth for the June 26 MatchStick 5k/10k race!
As for his Olympic gold medal? It’s in a safe deposit box. “I’m too slow to win another one so I protect it. I seldom look at it, but when I do it brings back some great memories.”
Thank you, Dave, for making time for us! We are looking very forward to possibly meeting you this summer at the race! -Matt&Tina
