Career
He set world records for the event twice in 1950 with times of 13.6 and 13.5 seconds. After an almost two-year winning streak, injuries curtailed his career in 1952. Born in Compton, California, he began his hurdling career while at the University of Southern California.
Representing the University of Southern California Trojans, he was the runner-up in the 110-yard hurdles at the Pacific Coast Conference and National Collegiate Athletic Association Outdoor Championships in 1949.
He placed second at the Pacific Coast Conference versus Big 10 Conference meet in June that year before going on to place third in the event at the Amateur Athletic Union championship race in Fresno, California.
He then travelled to an international track meet in Helsinki, Finland, the month after and improved the record further with a time of 13.5 seconds. He competed extensively in Finland in July 1951, winning all his races abroad.
In March 1951, Attlesey headed to the 1951 Pan American Games in Buenos Aires with the American team
At the inaugural edition of the competition he defeated the host nation"s top hurdler, Estanislao Kocourek, to lift the first ever Pan American 110 m hurdles title for the United States. He returned to California in April to compete collegiately and he continued his hurdles winning streak. Attlesey suffered an injury in 1952 and this seriously affected his form.
He came fifth at the West Coast Relays and was runner-up at the California Relays.
At the Olympic Trials he failed to gain a spot on the American team for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as he finished seventh in his heat in a comparatively pedestrian time of 15.1 seconds. He showed a return to good condition at the West Coast Relays in 1953, running 14.1 seconds for second place, but this proved to be the final outing of his hurdling career.
He died in California in October 1984, aged 55.
