Lindy Remigino proudly admits that he is probably the smallest Olympic 100-meter champion of all-time.
He refers to himself as the “skinny, guinea with the meatball eyes who you couldn’t put in jail because he’d go right through the bars.” At only 5’6” and 138 pounds, Remigino won two gold medals in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.
Remigino can still recall in vivid detail his photo finish in the 100-meter final. Remigino actually thought he had finished second. He admits to leaning too early near the finish line and actually slowing down. But after a review of the photo, Remigino was declared the winner. He said that the playing of the National Anthem brought tears to his eyes. He was honored with a parade in Hartford and given the key to the city.
Remigino is now a retired teacher and coach. His Hartford Public track and field teams won 31 state titles in his 43 years. At 81, Remigino still wants to run again, though he joked that now he would be timed with a calendar not a stopwatch. Last year he had both of his hips replaced.
Remigino and his wife raised five children and now split their time between Newington and Florida. Remigino, who was named after aviator Charles Lindbergh, still gets weekly fan mail from around the world. It is usually a request for a photo and an autograph. His signature moment will always be the photo finish in the 100-meters at the 1952 Olympics.
