Inducted in 2009 for Modern Road & Track Competitor (1945-1975)

Biography
Renowned as a sprinter, Dick Cortright represented the United States at the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Olympics. He was the first U.S. cyclist to qualify for three straight Olympic teams. He also won a Gold Medal in 1959 while setting a U.S. record in the 4,000 meter Team Pursuit at the Pan American Games in Chicago. By the time he was 20, Cortright was a national amateur champion and he won 18 major races in 1949.
In 1950 he was named the Senior Amateur Bicycle League of America’s Best All-Around Rider. In that season, interrupted by a fractured collarbone, he won 26 consecutive races demonstrating unmatched dominance over contemporary competitors. He was the 1954 50-Mile National Champion and won the one-mile U.S. title in 1955. Cortright was named Buffalo’s Athlete of the Year in 1960. He went on to compete as a professional six-day bicycle racer from 1961 to 1966.
After his racing career ended, Cortright became a clerk with the U.S. Postal Service retiring in the early 1990s. As a former Olympian he traveled across the country as a speaker at “Touch the Torch” ceremonies. Dick was the first cyclist to be honored by the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. Cortright passed away in 2009.

Honors
1950 – Tour of Somerville :: 1st