Gwen Torrence

Gwen Torrence

Personal information
Born	(1965-06-12) June 12, 1965 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (171 cm)
Weight	125 lb (57 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Track and field
Medal record Women's athletics Representing the United States Olympic Games Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona 200 m Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona 4 × 100 m relay Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta 4 × 100 m relay Silver medal – second place 1992 Barcelona 4 × 400 m relay Bronze medal – third place 1996 Atlanta 100 m World Championships Gold medal – first place 1993 Stuttgart 4 × 400 m relay Gold medal – first place 1995 Gothenburg 100 m Gold medal – first place 1995 Gothenburg 4 × 100 m relay Silver medal – second place 1991 Tokyo 100 m Silver medal – second place 1991 Tokyo 200 m Silver medal – second place 1993 Stuttgart 200 m Silver medal – second place 1993 Stuttgart 4 × 100 m relay Bronze medal – third place 1993 Stuttgart 100 m Pan American Games Gold medal – first place 1987 Indianapolis 200 m
Updated on February 9, 2014

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. 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. In 2000 she was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

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)

Awards

• World Athletics Awards

World Athlete of the Year (Women)：1995

External links

• Gwen Torrence at the USATF Hall of Fame (archived)