Félix Sánchez
 Félix Sánchez at the World Championship Athletics 2009 in Berlin |
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| Nationality |  Dominican Republic |
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| Born | August 30, 1977 New York, USA |
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| Residence | California, USA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 73 kg (160 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 400 meter hurdles, 4 × 400 meters relay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | USC Trojans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Félix Sánchez, (born August 30, 1977) is a Dominican track and field athlete who competes for the Dominican Republic. He specializes in the 400 meter hurdles event, where he is the reigning Olympic champion. He is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, having won the titles in 2004 and 2012. He was also world champion in 2001 and 2003.
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Early life and college [edit]
Sánchez was born in New York City to Dominican-born parents and was raised in San Diego, California.[1] He attended University City High School and San Diego Mesa College in the city, and then went on to study psychology at the University of Southern California in 1998.[2][3] Competing for University of Southern California's USC Trojans, he was a Pac-10 champion (400 m hurdles) and All-American relay champion (1600 m) in 1999.[2]
Professional career [edit]
Sánchez opted to represent the Dominican Republic internationally, and made his debut for that nation in the Pan American games in 1999.[4] Between 2001 and 2004 he won 43 races in a row[4] at 400 m hurdles, including the 2001 and 2003 World Championships. He won a share of the Golden League million dollar-jackpot in 2002 after winning all 7 races.[5]
At the 2003 Pan American Games, Sánchez won the Dominican Republic's first gold medal at the competition and also broke the Pan American Games record in the 400 m hurdles.[6][7] He was named Track and Field News Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 2003. Subsequently, he won the first ever Olympic gold medal for the Dominican Republic on August 28, 2004 during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.[8]
During his 43-race[4] winning streak, from 2001 to 2004, Sánchez was known for wearing a wristband while competing. The red flashing wristband, a souvenir from the 2000 Olympics, served as a motivation for him after failing to advance to the final in Sydney. After winning the Olympic gold medal in Athens 2004, Sánchez gave the wristband to the IAAF for auction and the profits were donated to charity.[4] In his first race after the Olympics – and his first race without the wristband – at the Van Damme Memorial meet in Brussels, Sánchez injured his leg and had to abandon the race halfway through.[9][10]
In 2012, at the age of 34, Sánchez entered the 2012 Summer Olympics. He posted the fastest qualifying time, and won the final with a time of 47.63 seconds,[11] the same as his winning time in Athens in 2004 and his fastest run for eight years.[12] Sánchez became the oldest man to win the Olympic 400m hurdles title.[12] For his performance in London Sanchez was awarded the Laureus World Comeback of the Year.[13]
Competition record [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Felix Sanchez. Sports Reference. Retrieved on June 30, 2012.
- ^ a b Player Bio: Felix Sanchez :: Men's Outdoor Track
- ^ "California State Meet Results - 1915 to present". Hank Lawson. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ a b c d "Felix Sanchez". www.london2012.com. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- ^ How does it feel to win m?. Spikes Mag. Retrieved on July 11, 2009.
- ^ Felix Sanchez wins first gold medal for Dominican Republic. Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved on July 11, 2009.
- ^ Gonzalez, David (2003-08-08). Games Lift Spirits in Santo Domingo. The New York Times. Retrieved on July 11, 2009.
- ^ Felix Sanchez coming home to NYC for Reebok Grand Prix. Cool Running. Retrieved on July 11, 2009.
- ^ Felix Sanchez donates flashing wristband to the IAAF. Retrieved on September 27, 2011.
- ^ Leg injury sees Sanchez's three-year win streak end. Retrieved on September 27, 2011.
- ^ "'Superman' Sanchez regains Olympic 400m hurdles title". Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ a b "London 2012 Olympics: James secures 400m crown as Greene misses hurdles medal". www.athleticsweekly.com. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
- ^ http://www.laureus.com/news/laureus-world-sports-awards-2013-winners
External links [edit]
- IAAF profile for Félix Sánchez
- 2004 interview and profile in Open Your Eyes magazine
| Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by Angelo Taylor |
Men's 400 m Hurdles Best Year Performance 2001–2004 |
Succeeded by Kerron Clement |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by |
CAC Male Athlete of the Year 2004 |
Succeeded by Asafa Powell |
Preceded by Darren Clarke |
Laureus World Comeback of the Year 2012 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Olympic Games | ||
| Preceded by Wanda Rijo |
Flagbearer for Dominican Republic Athens 2004 Beijing 2008 |
Succeeded by Gabriel Mercedes |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Félix Sánchez |
- 1977 births
- Living people
- American hurdlers
- Dominican Republic athletes
- Olympic athletes of the Dominican Republic
- Olympic gold medalists for the Dominican Republic
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- University of Southern California alumni
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 Pan American Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 Pan American Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2011 Pan American Games
- Olympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Pan American Games competitors for the Dominican Republic
- American people of Dominican Republic descent
- Sportspeople from New York City
- Sportspeople from San Diego, California
- World Championships in Athletics medalists
- Laureus World Sports Awards winners
- Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
