Cornell University Athletics

He was a versatile track athlete who competed in the long jump, sprint hurdles and the 440.  He won four IC4A titles in three different events.  In 1951, he won the indoor 60-yard high hurdles.  Outdoors, he took both the long jump and the 220-yard low hurdles.  His long jump of 25 feet, 9 ¾ inches was an IC4A record and was the second-best jump in the world that year.  He won the 1952 indoor IC4A long jump and was the high scorer in the outdoor meet.  He won three outdoor Heptagonal titles in the 220 low hurdles and won the outdoor Heps long jump title, while running the leadoff leg on the winning mile relay team in 1951.  In 1951, his tremendous contributions helped Cornell to its most successful track season in history, winning the most championships at the Penn Relays, trouncing Penn and Princeton in dual meets, winning both the Heptagonal and IC4A championships, and placing a strong second to Southern California at the NCAA championships ¾ USC won the championship with 36 athletes entered in the competition, while five athletes did all the scoring for Cornell, with Gourdine placing second in the both the low hurdles and the long jump.  In 1952, he won the long jump in the Olympic trials and took the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Helsinki.