Gwen Torrence
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | [1] Atlanta, Georgia | June 12, 1965|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (171 cm)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 125 lb (57 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Updated on 9 February 2014 |
Gwendolyn Lenna Torrence (born June 12, 1965) is a retired American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. She was born in Decatur, Georgia. She attended Columbia High School and the University of Georgia. She was offered a scholarship because of her athletic abilities, but she said she wasn't interested because she initially wanted to become a beautician. From the persuasion from her coaches and family, she chose to enroll to the University of Georgia.
In the early 1990s, Gwen Torrence was one of the best sprinters in the world, winning five Olympic medals, and three gold.[3]
Torrence won medals at the Summer Olympics, Outdoor & Indoor World Championships, Pan American Games, Goodwill Games, and World University Games.
In 1988, Torrence achieved a tie with Evelyn Ashford in the 55 m race at the U.S. national indoor championships. She also had many battles both on the track and in the press with Florence Griffith Joyner.[citation needed]
In the 200 m at the 1995 World Championships, she was disqualified for stepping out of her lane after finishing first. This left her idol, Merlene Ottey, to be promoted to first place.
In 2000 she was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.[4]
International competitions
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | World University Games | Kobe, Japan | 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | |
1987 | Pan American Games | Indianapolis, United States | 1st | 200 m | |
1st | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
World University Games | Zagreb, Yugoslavia | 1st | 100 m | ||
1st | 200 m | ||||
1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 5th | 100 m | |
6th | 200 m | ||||
1989 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | 60 m | |
1991 | World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 2nd | 100 m | |
2nd | 200 m | ||||
1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | 1st | 200 m | |
1st | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | ||||
1993 | World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 3rd | 100 m | |
2nd | 200 m | ||||
2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
1st | 4 × 400 m relay | ||||
1994 | Goodwill Games | Saint Petersburg, Russia | 1st | 100 m | |
1st | 200 m | ||||
1st | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 100 m | |
1st | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 3rd | 100 m | |
1st | 4 × 100 m relay |
National titles
- USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
- 100 m: 1995
- 200 m: 1988, 1993, 1995
- USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
- 55 m: 1989
- 60 m: 1994, 1995, 1996
- 200 m: 1994, 1996
Personal bests
- Outdoor
- 100-meter dash – 10.82 (1994)
- 200-meter dash – 21.72 (1992)
- 400-meter dash – 49.64 (1992)
- Indoor
- 50-meter dash – 6.07 (1996)
- 55-meter dash – 6.56 (1987)
- 60-meter dash – 7.02 (1996)
References
- ^ "Gwen Torrence". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
- ^ "Gwen Torrence". usatf.org. USA Track & Field. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
- ^ https://www.olympic.org/gwen-torrence
- ^ "Gwen Torrence" (PDF). Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
External links
- 1965 births
- Living people
- People from Decatur, Georgia
- Sportspeople from Atlanta
- Track and field athletes from Georgia (U.S. state)
- American female sprinters
- African-American female track and field athletes
- Olympic track and field athletes of the United States
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field
- Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field
- Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Pan American Games competitors for the United States
- Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Pan American Games
- World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists
- Georgia Lady Bulldogs track and field athletes
- Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Goodwill Games medalists in athletics
- Universiade gold medalists for the United States
- IAAF World Athlete of the Year
- USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
- USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners
- World Athletics Championships winners