Nelson Vails won a silver medal in the individual 1000-meter Match Sprints in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California; making him the first and only African American to medal in cycling.
Vails was inducted into the US Bicycle Hall of Fame in 2009.

Vails obtained many awards before his Olympic run.
1983 - Vails won a gold medal in the Pan American games in Venezuela.
1984 - National Sprint Champion
1984, 1985, 1986 - National Tandem Sprint Champion

Nelson Vails worked as a cycling commentator for major TV networks and participated in cycling safety programs.
Vails hosts "Ride with Nelly" events. He is currently hosting Tour de Palm Springs February 10th and February 11th in celebration of Black History Month.