Gwen Torrence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s Athletics | |||
Competitor for  United States |
|||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Gold | 1992 Barcelona | 200 m | |
| Gold | 1992 Barcelona | 4x100 m relay | |
| Gold | 1996 Atlanta | 4x100 m relay | |
| Silver | 1992 Barcelona | 4x400 m relay | |
| Bronze | 1996 Atlanta | 100 m | |
| World Championships | |||
| Gold | 1993 Stuttgart | 4x400 m relay | |
| Gold | 1995 Gothenburg | 100 m | |
| Gold | 1995 Gothenburg | 4x100 m relay | |
| Silver | 1991 Tokyo | 100 m | |
| Silver | 1991 Tokyo | 200 m | |
| Silver | 1993 Stuttgart | 200 m | |
| Silver | 1993 Stuttgart | 4x100 m relay | |
| Bronze | 1993 Stuttgart | 100 m | |
Gwen Torrence (born June 12, 1965) is a retired sprint athlete, one of the greatest of her generation and an Olympic gold medalist from the United States. She was born in Decatur, Georgia. She attended Columbia High School, then the University of Georgia.
Torrence has won medals at nearly every major athletics competition, including the Summer Olympics, Outdoor & Indoor World Championships, Pan American Games, Goodwill Games, and World University Games.
Her tally of golds would have improved had she been awarded those in which she had finished second to East German Katrin Krabbe, who later tested positive for clenbuterol.
In 1988, Torrence achieved, on one of those rare occasions in athletics, 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.
In the 200 m at the 1995 World Championships, she was disqualified after convincingly beating the field, for stepping out of her lane. This left her idol, Merlene Ottey, to be promoted to first place.
After retiring from athletics, Torrence became a hairdresser and lives with her children, a son named Manley and a daughter named E’mon.
[edit] Major Achievements
- 1985
- 1986
- National Championships
- 200 m bronze medal
- National Championships
- 1987
- Pan American Games - Indianapolis, United States
- 200 m gold medal
- 4 x 100 m. relay gold medal
- World University Games - Zagreb, Yugoslavia
- 100 m gold medal
- 200 m gold medal
- Pan American Games - Indianapolis, United States
- 1988
- National Championships
- 200 m gold medal
- National Indoor Championships
- 55 m gold medal (tied)
- 1988 Summer Olympics - Seoul, South Korea
- 100 m fifth place
- National Championships
- 1989
- World Indoor Championships - Budapest, Hungary
- 60 m silver medal
- National Indoor Championships
- 55 m gold medal
- World Indoor Championships - Budapest, Hungary
- 1991
- World Championships - Tokyo, Japan
- 100 m silver medal
- 200 m silver medal
- National Championships
- 100 m silver medal
- 200 m silver medal
- National Indoor Championships
- 60 m silver medal
- World Championships - Tokyo, Japan
- 1992
- 1992 Summer Olympics - Barcelona, Spain
- 200 m. gold medal
- 4 x 100 m relay gold medal
- 4 x 400 m relay silver medal
- National Indoor Championships
- 60 m silver medal
- 1992 Summer Olympics - Barcelona, Spain
- 1993
- World Championships - Stuttgart, Germany
- 100 m bronze medal
- 200 m silver medal
- 4 x 100 m relay silver medal
- 4 x 400 m relay gold medal
- National Championships
- 100 m silver medal
- 200 m gold medal
- World Championships - Stuttgart, Germany
- 1994
- 1994 Goodwill Games - Saint Petersburg, Russia
- 100 m gold medal
- 200 m gold medal
- 4 x 100 m. relay gold medal
- National Indoor Championships
- 60 m gold medal
- 200 m gold medal
- 1994 Goodwill Games - Saint Petersburg, Russia
- 1995
- World Championships - Gothenburg, Sweden
- 100 m gold medal
- 4 x 100 m. relay gold medal
- National Championships
- 100 m gold medal
- 200 m gold medal
- National Indoor Championships
- 60 m gold medal
- World Championships - Gothenburg, Sweden
- 1996
- 1996 Summer Olympics - Atlanta, United States
- 100 m bronze medal
- 4 x 100 m relay gold medal
- National Indoor Championships
- 60 m gold medal
- 200 m gold medal
- 1996 Summer Olympics - Atlanta, United States
- 1997
- National Indoor Championships
- 60 m silver medal
- National Indoor Championships
[edit] External links
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Jingyi Le |
United Press International Athlete of the Year 1995 |
Succeeded by none |
| Preceded by Gail Devers |
Women's Track & Field ESPY Award 1995 |
Succeeded by Kim Batten |
| Sporting positions | ||
Preceded by Merlene Ottey |
Women's 200m Best Year Performance 1992 |
Succeeded by Merlene Ottey |
| Preceded by Merlene Ottey |
Women's 200m Best Year Performance 1994 – 1995 |
Succeeded by Marie-José Pérec Mary Onyali |
|
|||||
