Two-time Olympic decathlon champion Mathias dies at 75

NEW YORK, Sep 3 (Reuters) Two-time Olympic decathlon gold medallist Bob Mathias has passed away at the age of 75, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) said in a statement.

The American, who at 17 became the youngest Olympic champion in a track and field event at the 1948 London Games, died at his home in Fresno, California, yesterday, the USOC added.

Mathias won his second gold at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

He and Britain's Daley Thompson (1980-84) are the only men to win back-to-back Olympic titles in the two-day, 10-event competition.

Mathias later served four terms as a U.S. Congressman and was the first director of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

''Bob Mathias was one of those rare individuals with the ability to inspire a nation through his determination and perseverance,'' USOC chairman Peter Ueberroth said in the statement.

''He was a champion in every aspect of life.

''With his passing... the Olympic movement has lost a loyal friend, and America has lost a true hero.'' STUNNING VICTORY Mathias was competing in only his third decathlon when he won gold in London.

Factory whistles and fire sirens blared for 45 minutes when news of his stunning victory arrived via radio in his hometown of Tulare, California, according to The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics.

When Mathias returned to the small farming community three weeks later, crowds had to be cleared from the local airport's runway so his plane could land.

Four years later, Mathias won gold again, this time setting a world record of 7,887 points at Helsinki.

The victory came just months after Mathias had played fullback for Stanford University in the Rose Bowl, an American college football championship game.

Mathias was drafted by the Washington Redskins, but never signed with the National Football League (NFL) team.

He will be buried on Wednesday after funeral services in Tulare, California, the USOC said.

Reuters DH DB1339