Lee Evans, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and member of the famed “Speed City” runners from San Jose State, suffered a stroke last week and is unconscious in a Nigerian hospital.
Solofo Evans said a specialist is scheduled to check his father’s condition on Monday to see if Evans, 74, can be flown to the United States for further treatment.
Solofo Evans said Sunday that the family is working with the U.S. embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, to secure clearance if Lee Evans can safely be transported.
“Medically, he is not in a good place,” Solofo Evans said.
According to Segun Odegbami, a former Nigerian soccer great, Evans collapsed last week while having dinner with him and other friends. Odegbami said Evans has blood clots in his brain.
Evans is an assistant track coach at Odegbami’s International College and Sports Academy and has spent many years coaching African teams.
“We want to get Lee the best care,” said Ron Freeman, a 1968 Olympic teammate, who also works in Africa.
Freeman said Odegbami made it possible for Evens to get treated in a hospital.
“Segun is a blessing to Lee’s family,” Freeman said.
Evans, who graduated from San Jose’s Overfelt High School, was the first person to break 44 seconds in the 400 meters when he won the race at the Mexico City Olympics with a time of 43.86 seconds.
Evans also anchored the 1,600-relay team to a world record of 2 minutes 56.16 seconds. Both of the world records lasted for almost two decades. Evans, a member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, wore a beret with his relay teammates during the medal ceremony in an ode to the Black Panther Party. The demonstration did not cause the same reaction as when fellow San Jose State runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-fisted gloves during the medal ceremony for the 200 meters.
In 2011, Evans had surgery to remove a large tumor in the pituitary gland area of his brain while visiting his sister in the Bay Area.
Evans began working for the United Nations in Africa after resigning as track and cross-country coach at the University of South Alabama in 2008.
This is really sad news. Pray for Lee Evans, hoping that he will get rid of the torment of the disease as soon as possible, especially now that he is still in the pandemic, so he must be safe.