He was 74.
American sprinter and Olympic activist Lee Evans, the former 400 metres world record holder has died.
Evans shattered the world record in the men's 400 metres at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, clocking 43.86 seconds to win gold, before topping the podium again in the 4x400 metres relay.
Lee Evans after winning gold in the 400m at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Photo: US Olympic Archive
He famously wore a black beret on the podium at the 1968 Olympics, where his fellow Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists as they stood during the medal ceremony for the 200 metres.
A prominent activist in the Black Power movement, Evans was a key member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, which protested against racial segregation and injustice in the U.S. and abroad.
Evans enjoyed a lengthy career as a coach, training athletes in 20 different countries.
-Reuters
