Because he was very thin and feeble, the Wottle family doctor recommended exercise, especially running. Dave felt at home on the track team. Like many distance and middle-distance runners, however, he had to work hard to see modest improvements in junior high and high school track. At Bowling Green State University, he improved significantly every year, and Dave moved to the top of the NCAA rankings. He was at his performance peak during the 1972 US Olympic Trials.
While the commentators were expecting running legend Jim Ryun to win the US trials 1500 meters, Dave won easily. He also had no problem winning the 800 meter. During a workout the week after the trials, Dave injured his knee. Three weeks later, when we reported for our Olympic tour, Dave was still injured and had not been able to train.
The coaches wanted to send him home and bring in a healthy runner. Dave refused. Reluctantly the coaches supported him. By working with the athletic trainers and the medical team, he was able to run, and he gradually regained some conditioning.
After the gun fired on his first 800-meter heat in Munich, Dave was at the back of the pack. He struggled to move up as he rounded the final turn, passing one runner, then another. At the finish, he leaned and finished third—the last qualifier for the next round.
Due to conditioning issues, Dave ran a similar race in the next two qualifying heats, coming from behind to barely qualify for the finals.
In the final, the competitors clumped together, going for the gold. Unfortunately, Dave could not keep up and had fallen about 30 yards behind at the halfway mark. Many competitors would have stepped off the track. But Dave set his sights on the next-to-last competitor and caught up with him as they rounded the final curve.
Two runners bumped one another, and Dave darted between them. He ran inside to pass three more and outside to pass another group. As he approached the finish, there was a line of the leaders ahead, and at the last minute a parting occurred, Dave dove through, broke the tape, and won the gold medal.
TV announcers were amazed at his finishing spurt, but this was not the case. His 200-meter splits were almost identical. Dave knew what he could do and stuck with his plan.
At any given point, logic showed that Dave Wottle should have given up his spot and let someone else run. Dave won because he did not give up.