Three-times Olympic champion Mal Whitfield has died aged 91 ©Getty Images

Three-times Olympic champion Mal Whitfield of the United States has died at the age of 91, it has been announced.

The American, who was nicknamed “Marvellous Mal”, won double gold at the 1948 Games in London, claiming individual victory in the 800 metres in an Olympic record time of 1min 49.2sec.

His triumph marked the first time an active serviceman had won an Olympic title and he then went on to anchor the 4x400m relay team to gold at the event in England’s capital.

Whitfield was able to defend his 800m crown at the Games in Helsinki four years later by posting an identical time, while he also clinched 4x400m silver, despite training while serving in the Korean War.

As well as his triumphs on the Olympic stage, Whitfield sealed three golds at the 1951 Pan American Games in Buenos Aires and set numerous International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) records, including over 880 yards in 1950 and 1953 and over 1000m in 1952.

Following his retirement from competitive athletics in 1956, the Texan-born competitor embarked on a career as a Sports Goodwill Ambassador for the US Department of State, where he coached in countries throughout Africa.

He then became head of the physical education and sports department at the University of Nigeria and held a physical education advisory post in Liberia.

"Marvellous Mal" won two Olympic 800m golds and a 4x400m relay title during his career ©Getty Images

Whitfield, inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1974, was involved in his ambassadorial role for over 30 years, taking in over 130 countries.

“Marvellous Mal” was also inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1988 and established the Mal Whitfield Foundation to promote sports, academics and culture around the world the following year.

“I have had a chance to see what the world is like,” Whitfield told Sports Illustrated in 1991.

“I may have had to take a detour or two in my life, but I can honestly say that somehow I’ve achieved everything I started out to do.”

He is survived by wife Nola, son Malvin Jr, known as Lonnie, daughter Fredricka Whitfield, an anchor for broadcaster CNN, another daughter Nyna Konishi, a son and a daughter from a previous relationship, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.