Gwen Torrence
5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (171 cm)[2]
Women’s athletics | ||
---|---|---|
Representing the United States | ||
Olympic Games | ||
1992 Barcelona | 200 m | |
1992 Barcelona | 4 × 100 m relay | |
1996 Atlanta | 4 × 100 m relay | |
1992 Barcelona | 4 × 400 m relay | |
1996 Atlanta | 100 m | |
World Championships | ||
1993 Stuttgart | 4 × 400 m relay | |
1995 Gothenburg | 100 m | |
1995 Gothenburg | 4 × 100 m relay | |
1991 Tokyo | 100 m | |
1991 Tokyo | 200 m | |
1993 Stuttgart | 200 m | |
1993 Stuttgart | 4 × 100 m relay | |
1993 Stuttgart | 100 m | |
Pan American Games | ||
1987 Indianapolis | 200 m |
Gwendolyn Lenna Torrence (born June 12, 1965) is a retired American sprinter and Olympic champion. 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 April 17, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
- ^ "Gwen Torrence". usatf.org. USA Track & Field. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
- ^ "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
- Gwen Torrence at the USATF Hall of Fame (archived)
- Gwen Torrence at World Athletics
- Gwen Torrence at Olympics.com
- Gwen Torrence at Olympedia
Awards | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | United Press International Athlete of the Year 1995 | Succeeded by none |
Preceded by | Women's Track & Field ESPY Award 1995 | Succeeded by |
Sporting positions | ||
Preceded by | Women's 200m Best Year Performance 1992 1994–1995 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- 1988: Florence Griffith Joyner (USA)
- 1989: Ana Fidelia Quirot (CUB)
- 1990: Merlene Ottey (JAM)
- 1991: Katrin Krabbe (GER)
- 1992: Heike Henkel (GER)
- 1993: Sally Gunnell (GBR)
- 1994: Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA)
- 1995: Gwen Torrence (USA)
- 1996: Svetlana Masterkova (RUS)
- 1997: Marion Jones (USA)
- 1998: Marion Jones (USA)
- 1999: Gabriela Szabo (ROM)
- 2000:
Marion Jones (USA) - 2001: Stacy Dragila (USA)
- 2002: Paula Radcliffe (GBR)
- 2003: Hestrie Cloete (RSA)
- 2004: Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)
- 2005: Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)
- 2006: Sanya Richards (USA)
- 2007: Meseret Defar (ETH)
- 2008: Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS)
- 2009: Sanya Richards (USA)
- 2010: Blanka Vlašić (CRO)
- 2011: Sally Pearson (AUS)
- 2012: Allyson Felix (USA)
- 2013: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM)
- 2014: Valerie Adams (NZL)
- 2015: Genzebe Dibaba (ETH)
- 2016: Almaz Ayana (ETH)
- 2017: Nafissatou Thiam (BEL)
- 2018: Caterine Ibargüen (COL)
- 2019: Dalilah Muhammad (USA)
- 2020: Yulimar Rojas (VEN)
- 2021: Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM)
- 2022: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)
- 2023: Tigist Assefa (ETH)
2022: Faith Kipyegon (KEN)
2022: Yulimar Rojas (VEN)