Rafer Johnson and C.K. Yang

• Posted By: Scott Harrison
• Posted On: 12:12 a.m. | August 6, 2012

July 23, 1960: Rafer Johnson, with barbell, and C.K. Yang, kneeling, record breakers in the Olympic decathlon tryouts, demonstrate physical fitness methods to about 900 Boy Scouts taking part in the two-day Camporee at a UCLA athletic field. Watching are scouts from the Crescent Bay Boy Scout Council.

Decathlon athletes and friends Johnson and Yang — full name Yang Chuan-kwang — trained together for two years at UCLA under Bruin track coach Elvin C. “Ducky” Drake.

But on Sep. 6, 1960, at the Olympic Games in Rome, Johnson and Yang — representing the Republic of China — competed against one another in the decathlon. Yang beat Johnson in six of the first nine decathlon events, but trailed Johnson by 67 points going into the final event, the 1,500-meter run.

Running in the same heat, Johnson stuck close enough to Yang to win the gold with 8,392 points. Yang won the silver medal with 8,334 points.

This photo by former staff photographer Bob Potwin was published in the July 24, 1960, Los Angeles Times.

For more see C.K. Yang’s 2007 Los Angeles Times obituary.