Johnny Gray

For other people named John Gray, see John Gray (disambiguation).

Medal record
Men’s Athletics
Competitor for the United States
Olympic Games
Bronze	1992 Barcelona	800 metres
Pan American Games
Gold	1987 Indianapolis	800 metres
Gold	1999 Winnipeg	800 metres

John ("Johnny") Lee Gray, Jr. (born June 19, 1960 in Los Angeles, California) was an American 800 m runner of the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1985 he set the US record of 1:42.60 min at a meet in Koblenz. That time puts Gray as the #11 performer of all time. He came seventh in the 1984 Summer Olympics, fifth in 1988, and won the bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics of 1992. In 1993 Gray was one of the favourites to win a gold medal at the World Championships in Stuttgart as he had won the A-race at the prestigious meeting in Zurich. However, he failed to qualify for the final in Stuttgart. He also set a world 600 m best in 1986 at 1:12.81 min.

In 1992 and 1993 Gray came close to breaking the world indoor record over 800 m several times. He holds the US indoor record at 1:45.00 min (Sindelfingen 1992).

Having led the Olympic 800 m race at the 1992 Summer Olympics with a blazing first lap at better than world record pace, Gray was passed twice during the final lap to claim the bronze medal. A reporter later asked him what he would have done differently if he could run the race a second time, and it is rumored that he responded, "I would have taken it out harder." Runners refer to such an attitude as "taking it to the Gray zone" in his honor. This tactic also resulted in some devastating failures as in the 1987 and 1993 World Championships when he jogged to the finish of quarterfinal races, depleted and defeated. He walked to the finish of the 1980 Olympic Trials.

Inducted into the USA National Track and Field Hall of Fame Dec. 2008. Also member of Santa Monica College Hall of Fame, Melrose Games in NYC Hall of Fame, Mt. Sac Relays Hall of Fame, and obtained the key to the city for Santa Monica, Inglewood, Walnut, Agoura Hills and New York.

Family life

Wife

• Judy Kathryn Terrell (b. December 21, 1961)

Sons

• Johnny Lee Gray, III (b. July 21, 1983)(Who is currently playing professional basketball overseas, and a graduate of University of Pacific)
• Jared Kyle Gray (b. September 2, 1985)
• Jaylon Kameron Gray (b. December 19, 1997)

Grandson

• Caleb Vincent Gray (b. July 13, 2008) (Born to Johnny Gray III and April Graham)

External links

• IAAF profile for Johnny Gray
• sports-reference
• USA Track and Field