L. D. Weldon

L. D. Weldon (1908 – May 6, 1989) was an American track and field coach. He trained decathletes, including two Olympic medal winners, 40 years apart.

A native of California, in 1925 Weldon moved to Graceland Academy in Lamoni, Iowa for the final two years of high school. He continued there to Graceland University for his first year of college before transferring to the University of Iowa. As an athlete at Graceland, he won the javelin throw at the nearby Drake Relays and at the Kansas Relays in 1928. After a year of forced ineligibility due to the change in schools, he returned in 1930 to again win the Drake Relays and Kansas Relays plus added the Texas Relays for the trifecta of the top competitions in the country.

After graduating Weldon found work coaching at Sacramento City College from 1931 to 1945. He was elected into the school's Hall of Fame in 1997.

His first notable coaching success was Jack Parker, a farm boy from Lamoni, Iowa who he recruited to Sacramento. In the summer of 1936, Weldon drove Parker to the decathlon Olympic Trials in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Parker finished in third place at the trials, qualifying him to participate in the 1936 Olympics. Against the best athletes in the world, the American team finished in the same order, with Parker taking the bronze medal.

Other athletes coached by Weldon included:

During World War II, Weldon took over the Sacramento football team which was undefeated in 1941 and 1942. The team suffered just one loss in 1943.

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