G. Larry James, 'Nova and Olympic track star, dies

G. Larry James, 61, a former Villanova track star who won a gold and a silver medal in the 1968 Olympics and set a Penn Relays record for the fastest 440-yard split, died of colon cancer yesterday.

Mr. James, nicknamed "The Mighty Burner," was a 1970 graduate of Villanova and served for 28 years as dean of athletics and recreational programs at Richard Stockton College in Galloway Township, N.J.

A member of the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame, Mr. James competed on what is still believed to be the greatest 4x400-meter relay team in Olympic history. He teamed with Vince Matthews, Ron Freeman and Lee Evans on the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 in the world-record time of 2 minutes, 56.16 seconds. Mr. James clocked a 43.8-second split on the third leg.

The record time for the relay was equaled in 1988 but not broken until the 1992 U.S. team ran a time of 2:55.74.

Mr. James also won a silver medal in the 400 meters, clocking a time of 43.97, just off Evans' gold-medal-winning 43.86.

He had one of his most memorable runs in the 1968 Penn Relays for Villanova. The Wildcats upset favored Rice in the mile relay, with James rallying his team from 15 yards down by running a 440-yard anchor leg of 43.9 seconds, the fastest split in history at the time.

Villanova captain Dave Patrick said when he looked at his stopwatch: "I must have messed up. No one can run that fast."

The three members of the Olympic relay team and other world-class runners honored Mr. James, who had cancer, at a reception in December at Richard Stockton College.

"When I first saw him run, I understood why they called him 'The Mighty Burner,' " said Matthews, who won gold in the 400 at the 1972 Olympics. "Smooth, efficient heat - that's Larry."

Another speaker was John Carlos, who won Olympic bronze in the 200 at the 1968 Olympics and then joined gold-medal winner Tommie Smith in a "black power" salute on the awards stand.

"There is no distance too far, no height too high, to keep us from being here for one of our brothers," Carlos said.

A native of Greenburgh, N.Y., Mr. James, who had a master's degree from Rutgers, held a variety of positions for USA Track and Field, the governing body for the sports in the United States, including treasurer. He also was a major in the Marine Corps Reserve and served on a number of charities in Atlantic County.

Longtime track writer Elliott Denman wrote in an article after the reception: "The G in his full name is for George, but few who have followed James' illustrious career would know it. Some suggest that it really meant Great."

Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.