Nelson Vails

Nelson Beasley Vails is a retired road and track cyclist from the United States. He rode as a professional from 1988 to 1995 representing the U.S. at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where he became the first African American and first person of African descent to win an Olympic medal in cycling. He won the silver medal in the sprint, behind countryman Mark Gorski. He was inducted to the U.S. Bicycle Hall of Fame in 2009.