Incredible Moment As Underdog Billy Mills Wins 10,000m Gold - Tokyo 1964 Olympics | Tokyo
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Don't miss out on everything Olympic! Click here for all highlights, behind-the-scenes and more! http://go.olympic.org/watch?p=yt&teaser=a Watch highlights of one of the most incredible stories in Olympic history as the USA's Billy Mills wins the 10,000m gold as a complete unknown underdog at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. Subscribe to the Olympic channel: http://bit.ly/1dn6AV5 The story of the 10,000m at the Tokyo 1964 Games is the story of one of the greatest upsets ever seen at the Olympics. The race had been predicted to be a three-way battle between Murray Halbert, the defending 5000m champion, the defending 10,000m champion Pyotr Bolotnikov, and the world record holder Ron Clarke. It did not go according to plan. By the halfway mark, though, only Clarke was anywhere near the front, accompanied by Tunisian Mohamed Gammoudi and the American Billy Mills. Mills was so unheralded that, in the run-up to the Games, not one reporter had asked him a single question. They should have done, for his story was memorable. He had been born in South Dakota as a member of a Native American family, and was raised on a reservation reserved for the Oglala Sioux people. He had 11 brothers and sisters, but was orphaned at the age of 12, and so was raised by his grandmother. He took up boxing and used to run as a way of staying fit, but discovered he was a better runner than boxer, and so won a place at the University of Kansas on an athletic scholarship. He excelled at cross-country while at university but, by the time of the Olympic Games, he had left Kansas to join the US Marine Corps. It was while serving in the armed forces that he qualified for the Games. His qualifying time was not notable, but he had spent years planning for the final and had belief that, on the day, he would match the standard of those around him. The race was more about endurance, tactics and even fortune than out-and-out pace. The last lap was a confusing affair, with slower runners being lapped as Clarke, Gammoudi and Mills charged along, elbowing and shoving each other as they jockeyed for position. Clarke led, then Gammoudi and then, to the astonishment of both the frontrunners, Mills sprinted past to win by almost three metres, beating his own personal best time by 47 seconds. "I'm flabbergasted," said Mills in victory. Famously, a Japanese reporter asked simply "who are you?" Victory changed his life. He was acclaimed by his tribe as a warrior and given the name Makoce Teh'la, which translates as "loves his country". He has devoted much of his life to working with Native American communities and remains the first and, so far, only American to win Olympic 10,000m gold. Find more about the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games: http://www.olympic.org/tokyo-1964-summer-olympics
Comments
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UNCLE BILLY...YOU ARE A GREAT MAN!!!!! sending LOVE from Cheyenne Creek on the Pine Ridge Reservation....LOVE YOU UNCLE...GAB SAYS HAU...
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Amazing runner....an even better human...hear him speak sometime -- u will be fired up !!!
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he is Indian and I was in cross country once,(I'm indian) and we did a walk and run with him. he told me that I was an original and that if I keep up the good work I will someday be able to take the place of him.
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I love how they said at 1:16 they said Billy Mills wasn't expected to win this event. <3 So very proud of you Brother. <3
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nice
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Yay billy mills! "A man no expects to win this race." Kickin' it old school with humility and a crew cut.
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what a spectacular run by a native son, I never knew his background! His people should be proud he didn't turn his back on them, a true hero to the cause, this is what we need those in the public eye to shine the light on the plight of our people. Salute to you Chief Billy Mills, a leader in the eye of the storm.
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Sgt. Bill Mills, 9th Div.=hero
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errmmm the people who have to start the race on the back left have pretty much already lost. thats totally not fair.
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Thank God there is a call of this race without the color commentary idiot saying "Look at Mills! Look at Mills!" To me, when you are the color, you step back and no matter how exciting, you let the main announcer announce the race. Very nice to have this.
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Beautiful finish to watch. BUT OFFICIATING WAS TERRIBLE AND RUINED THE TRUE NATURE OF THE RACE. Lapped runners should have been directed to run in outside lanes so leaders could have a proper competition. Would have been so much better if Mills had won the race without the interference of inferior runners.
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Just shared his story with my grandson. Dreams and hard work do come true thank you Mr Mills
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Awesome!! Go team Lakota!!
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I remember seeing this as a ten year old. It inspired me to run. I was only 7 minutes slower. Watch the movie Running Brave starring Robbie Benson. He has one of the best lines ever telling off his coach.
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This was a great moment for so many reasons, it was a huge upset, he came out of nowhere to do it and it was a proud moment for Native Americans and redemption for Jim Thorpe having his medals taken away.
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I always watch this piece, when I need motivation. I think this was the greatest thing that happend to a man who who grew on a reservation. I want to be great like this in my own way. I ran with Billy mills back in 1993 at my tribal fair 10k run. I had no idea who he was , but my dad (rip)forced me. I was on the cross country team with my middle school and there sign up sheet to run with.him. but, I wanted to sleep in. my dad force me out the house and i wad mad. but glad he did that because it was a great experience. after race he gave a speech, and they showed this video and he talked about the Olympics and all the things he experienced. lots of respect for the mad
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You have to see the movie about him ,what an emotional moment for him
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Eagle's wings
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chills!
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A truly great Olympic performance by Billy Mills. What made it even more difficult for all of the top finishers in the race was the presence of the lapped runners in their way. I was involved with the track and field world in the early 1970's, and it is my recollection that lapped runners were directed to the outside lanes. In this race, the leading runners had to pass the lapped runners on the outside, making their race unnecessarily longer.