Former Panther Roger Kingdom Inducted into U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, Class of 2022
6/24/2022 2:28:00 PM | General, Track & Field
PITTSBURGH – Today, University of Pittsburgh alum and famed track & field and football athlete Roger Kingdom will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, Class of 2022, as announced by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
The class of 2022 is comprised of eight individuals, two teams, two legends, one coach and one special contributor; they will be inducted tonight during a ceremony at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs.
Kingdom is joined by 2022 inductees Natalie Coughlin (University of California, Berkeley/swimming), Muffy Davis (Para alpine skiing and Para-cycling), Mia Hamm (University of North Carolina/soccer), David Kiley (Para alpine skiing, Para track and field, and wheelchair basketball), Michelle Kwan (figure skating), Michael Phelps (swimming), Lindsey Vonn (alpine skiing), Trischa Zorn-Hudson (University of Nebraska-Lincoln/Para swimming), the 1976 Women's 4x100 Freestyle Relay Swimming Team, the 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, Gretchen Fraser (University of Puget Sound/alpine skiing), Pat Summitt (University of Tennessee/basketball coach) and Billie Jean King (special contributor).
"The USOPC induction, to me, means a great deal because you spent most of your life chasing Olympic glory, and when you spend most of your life chasing the Olympic glory, for your accomplishments to be recognized as being something that was spectacular is amazing," Kingdom said. "It's amazing for them to now select you for this particular honor. I think it's the highest honor that an amateur athlete or a track and field athlete can receive."
The class of 2022 has represented the United States as athletes at a combined 27 Olympic and Paralympic Games, tallying 129 medals, including 86 golds. This is the 17th class inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, bringing the total to 168 inductees (individuals and teams).
Kingdom will be inducted into the 2022 class in the legend category. While competing with Team USA, Kingdom secured two gold medals in the 110-meter hurdles (1984, 1988). A former world and American record holder, he is one of only two runners to ever win consecutive Olympic titles in the 110-meter hurdles.
During his time as a Panther, Kingdom dominated on the track as he secured the 1983 NCAA Outdoor national championship in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.54 seconds and the 1984 NCAA Indoor national championship in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.08 seconds. The gifted athlete also played on the Pitt football team for two seasons.
National Governing Bodies, alumni, current athletes and additional members of the Olympic and Paralympic community were invited to nominate eligible athletes. From there, a nominating committee comprised of individuals from the Olympic and Paralympic movements narrowed it down to a set of finalists. The class of 2022 was determined by a voting process that included Olympians and Paralympians, members of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family, and an online vote open to fans; more than 432,000 votes were cast across all platforms.
More information about the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, including a comprehensive list of inductees, can be found online at TeamUSA.org/Hall-Of-Fame.
About the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame was established in 1979 to celebrate the achievements of America's premier athletes in the modern Olympic and Paralympic Games. The first U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1983 during a ceremony in Chicago and included Team USA greats such as Muhammad Ali, Bob Beamon, Peggy Fleming, Al Oerter, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Mark Spitz, Jim Thorpe and the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" men's hockey team.