Nelson Vails
1984 Olympic Cycling Silver Medalist
Vails was introduced to cycling as a teenager when he began working as a bicycle messenger in Manhattan. Vails quickly rose up the ranks of cycling and won the 1983 Pan American Games. In 1984, Vails caught a break. After the Soviet-led boycott of the Los Angeles games, the competing nations were allowed to enter two athletes in each track event instead of just one. Vails had lost the Olympic trials to Mark Gorski, but made the team anyway. In Los Angeles, Gorski again beat Vails, this time for the gold medal. Vails personality and silver medal made him quite popular following the games.
| EVENT |
PLACE |
POINTS |
MONEY |
EVENT WINS |
| 1985 Preliminary 1 |
6 |
21 |
$2,100 |
None |
| TOTALS |
21 |
$2,100 |
0 |