Kanati Allen

Kanati Allen
Portrait of Allen
Personal information
Full nameJames Kanati Allen
Born(1947-01-25)January 25, 1947
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 31, 2011(2011-12-31) (aged 64)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Gymnastics career
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Country represented
College team
UCLA Bruins
(1964–1968)
ClubLos Angeles High School
Head coach
Art Shurlock
Retiredc. 1972
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Representing  United States
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Universiade 0 1 0
Total 0 1 0
Universiade
Silver medal – second place1967 TokyoTeam

James Kanati Allen (January 25, 1947 – December 31, 2011) was an American gymnast. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and competed for the seventh-place U.S. team at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Allen, who is black and Cherokee, was the first African-American gymnast to compete at the Olympic Games.

Allen attended Los Angeles High School before attending University of California, Los Angeles where he competed as a member of the UCLA Bruins men's gymnastics team from 1964 to 1968.

His last major competition was the 1972 United States Olympic trials where he was not selected for the 1972 Summer Olympics.

He received a PhD in physics from the University of Washington.

References

  1. ↑ "1968 U.S. Olympian Kanati Allen Passes". intlgymnast. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  2. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Kanati Allen". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ Hersch, Philip (February 29, 2016). "Simone Biles And Gabby Douglas Are Latest And Greatest Heroes In A Storied History Of African-American Gymnasts". Team USA. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "James Kanati Allen".
  5. ↑ "Thor Tops Easter Gymnastics Clinic". The Van Nuys News. Vol. 53, no. 148. March 29, 1964. p. 47. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Gymnasts Get Top Grades, Too". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Vol. 60, no. 139. September 9, 1964. p. B-3. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  7. ↑ "M Gymnast Eyes Olympics". The Ann Arbor News. Vol. 138, no. 139. May 18, 1972. p. 61. Retrieved June 8, 2025.