Gwen Torrence

Gwen Torrence
Personal information
Born June 12, 1965[1]
Atlanta, Georgia
Height 5 ft 7.5 in (171.5 cm)[2]
Weight 125 lb (57 kg)
Sport
Country United States
Sport Athletics
Updated on 9 February 2014.

Gwen Torrence (born June 12, 1965) is a retired American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. She was born in Decatur, GA. She attended Columbia High School and the University of Georgia.

Career

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.

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.

Major Achievements

References

  1. "Gwen Torrence". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  2. "Gwen Torrence". usatf.org. USA Track & Field. Retrieved 9 February 2014.

External links

Awards
Preceded by
China Le Jingyi
United Press International
Athlete of the Year

1995
Succeeded by
none
Preceded by
United States Gail Devers
Women's Track & Field ESPY Award
1995
Succeeded by
United States Kim Batten
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Jamaica Merlene Ottey
Women's 200m Best Year Performance
1992
Succeeded by
Jamaica Merlene Ottey
Preceded by
Jamaica Merlene Ottey
Women's 200m Best Year Performance
1994 1995
Succeeded by
France Marie-José Pérec
Nigeria Mary Onyali