Mark Brian Gorski (born January 6, 1960) is a 1984 Olympic Gold medalist in the 1000m match sprint from the United States. He attended Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois….and the University of Michigan. Gorski was a member of the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Olympic Teams and won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles in the 1000 meter sprint cycling event. He was inducted into the U.S. Cycling Hall of Fame in 1995. He served as a commentator for NBC at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona….and has done numerous speaking engagements over the past 20 years.
Nelson Beasley Vails (born October 13, 1960) is a retired road and track cyclist from the United States. He rode as a professional from 1988 to 1995 representing the USA at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California…..where he won the silver medal in the sprint….coming in behind countryman Mark Gorski. Vails was the first African-American cyclist to win an Olympic medal and he was inducted to the US Bicycle Hall of Fame in 2009. Vails was also seen as a New York bicycle messenger in the film Quicksilver. He didn’t just play a bicycle messenger in “Quicksilver”….he worked as one in New York City…..and his nickname was “The Cheetah.”
