Category Archives: Judo

Allen Coage (Judo.  Born, New York, NY, Oct. 22, 1942; died, Mar. 6, 2007, Calgary, Alta.)  A skilled judo competitor and later a professional wrestler, Allen J. Coage became the first black man ever to win an Olympic medal for the U.S. in a sport other than boxing, basketball, or track and field.  Coage won a bronze in the judo competition at the 1976 Games.  He began judo training in 1964 and won the A.A.U. heavyweight championship six times (1965-66, 1968-70, 1975) and was twice the Pan Am Games champion (1967 and 1975).  Coage later became a noted personal bodyguard for celebrities.