Nelson Vails
Nelson Beasley Vails (born October 13, 1960) is a retired road and track cyclist from the United States. He rode as a professional from 1988 to 1995 representing the U.S. at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where he became the first African American and first person of African descent to win an Olympic medal in cycling. He won the silver medal in the sprint, behind countryman Mark Gorski. He was inducted to the U.S. Bicycle Hall of Fame in 2009.
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| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | Column 6 | Column 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vails in February 2007 | ||||||
| (1960-10-13) October 13, 1960Harlem, New York | ||||||
| 1984 Los Angeles | Individual Sprint | 1983 Caracas | Individual Sprint | |||
| 1984 Los Angeles | Individual Sprint | |||||
| 1983 Caracas | Individual Sprint |
Nelson Beasley Vails (born October 13, 1960) is a retired road and track cyclist from the United States. He rode as a professional from 1988 to 1995 representing the U.S. at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where he became the first African American and first person of African descent to win an Olympic medal in cycling. He won the silver medal in the sprint, behind countryman Mark Gorski. He was inducted to the U.S. Bicycle Hall of Fame in 2009.
Vails was also seen as a New York bicycle messenger in the film Quicksilver. He didn't just play a bicycle messenger in "Quicksilver," he worked as one in New York City. His nickname was "The Cheetah." After his sporting career he has worked as a cycling commentator for major TV networks and taken part in cycling safety programs.
In 2005 Vails was inducted into the Lehigh Valley Velodrome Cycling Hall of Fame.
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