Al Oerter won four Olympic gold medals in which athletic event?

Alfred Oerter Jr. (September 19, 1936 – October 1, 2007) was an American athlete and a four-time Olympic Champion in the discus throw. He was the first athlete to win a gold medal in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games. Oerter is an inductee of the IAAF Hall of Fame (International Association of Athletics Federations).

He began his track and field career at the age of 15 and eventually earned a scholarship to the University of Kansas in 1954 where he became a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. A large man of almost 6' 4" (193 cm) and 280 pounds (127 kg), Oerter was a natural thrower. Competing for Kansas, he became the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) discus champion in 1957; he successfully defended his title the following year.

Oerter began his Olympic career at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He was not considered the favorite but he felt a rush during the competition and he unleashed a throw of 184 feet 22 inches (56.64 m)—which, at the time, was a career best. The throw was good enough to win the competition by more than 5 inches (130 mm). At the 1960 Summer Olympics at Rome, Oerter threw his discus 194 feet 2 inches (59.18 m), setting an Olympic record. At Tokyo in 1964 he set a new Olympic standard and won a third Olympic gold medal. In 1968 at Mexico City with a record throw of 64.78 metres (212.5 ft) he became the first track and field athlete to win gold medals in four consecutive Olympic Games.