Jack Heid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New York, New York, United States
Bushkill, Pennsylvania, United States
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | John Sebastian Heid[1] |
| Nickname | Yankee Clipper[2] |
| Born | June 26, 1924 New York, New York, United States |
| Died | May 27, 1987 (aged 62) Bushkill, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Team information | |
| Discipline |
|
| Role | Rider |
| Amateur team | |
| Century Road Club[3] | |
Jack Heid (June 26, 1924 – May 27, 1987) was an American cyclist. He competed in the time trial and the sprint events at the 1948 Summer Olympics.[4]
In 1948, Heid moved to Europe to compete in the Summer Olympics in London. He reached the quarterfinals in the sprint and finished seventh in the 1000-meter time trial.[4] The following year, he finished third in the amateur sprint at the UCI Track World Championships.[2] He was coached by Jackie Simes, with whom he also competed in tandem races.[5]
Heid was considered a pioneer of American cycling, as he was the first American cyclist to race in Europe after World War II. At first he remained an amateur and made a living selling contraband. In the early 1950s he turned professional and settled in England. At the 1950 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, he finished eighth in the sprint.[3] That year, he married a Belgian woman and originally wanted to take Belgian citizenship. However, in 1951 he returned to the United States and competed in six-day races; in 1957 he finished third in Chicago with Mino De Rossi.
Heid and his wife resided in New Jersey, while owning a chalet in Pennsylvania. In 1987 he died in a fire in the chalet at the age of 62. In 1989, he was posthumously inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.[6]
Heid also competed on the road, winning the 1957 Tour of Somerville.[2]
