Marie-José Pérec is a retired French track and field sprinter who specialised in the 200 and 400 metres and is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. She was born in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe and moved to Paris when she was 16 years old.
The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and race in separate lanes for the entire course. In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440-yard dash (402.336 m)—which is a quarter of a mile and was referred to as the "quarter-mile"—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete.
The men's 400 metres hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 23 to 26. There were 35 competitors from 24 nations. The event was won by Félix Sánchez of the Dominican Republic, the nation's first medal in the men's 400 metres hurdles. Silver went to Danny McFarlane of Jamaica, returning to the podium in the event for the first time since 1992. Naman Keïta's bronze was France's first medal in the event in over 100 years; the last Frenchman to medal in the long hurdles was Henri Tauzin in 1900. The United States' five-Games gold medal streak ended; for only the second time in the history of the event, Americans competed but won no medals.
Maritza Correia, also known by her married name Maritza McClendon, is a former Olympic swimmer from Puerto Rico who swam representing the United States. When she qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 2004, she became the first Puerto Rican of African descent to be a member of the U.S. Olympic swimming team. She was the first female African-American swimmer for the United States to win an Olympic medal. She also became the first black American swimmer to set an American and world swimming record.
Alvin Leonardo Harrison is an American former track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events. He won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at both the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics and a silver medal in the 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Michael Blackwood is a Jamaican male track and field athlete, who specialized in the 400 meters, his personal best being 44.60 set during his win at the 2002 IAAF World Cup. He was chosen as the Jamaica Sportsman of the Year in 2002, in that same year he was the world number one rank by IAAF in the 400 meters. He is the brother of Catherine Scott who earned a silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Blackwood won the NAIA national 400 meters title in 1997. He is the winner of Jamaica 400 meters national championships three times. Blackwood holds the Big 12 conference record in the 400 meters since 2000 in the time of 44.69. He is an alumnus of The University of Oklahoma.
Gregory Haughton is a Jamaican 400 metres runner. He won three Olympic medals, one at the 1996 Summer Olympics and two at the 2000 Summer Olympics. His personal best for the 400 m was 44.56 seconds.
Monique Hennagan is an American athlete who mainly competes in the 400 metres. She won her first relay medal at the 1999 World Indoor Championships and her second in 2003.
Olga Kotlyarova is a Russian runner. She used to compete mainly in 400 metres, and has an Olympic bronze medal from 2000 in relay. She is also a world champion in this event.
Monique Andrade Ferreira is a freestyle swimmer from Brazil. A member of Santos.
Ahmed Douhou is a French sprinter who specializes in the 200 metres. He switched nationality from his birth country Côte d'Ivoire in 2002.
Athletics is a popular sport in Australia, with around 34,000 athletes, officials and coaches currently registered with the national association.
The South Carolina Gamecocks women's track and field team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference. The team has been coached by Tim Hall since 2023. The facilities continue to be improved, including the recent addition of 1,450 seats at outdoor track & field facility.
Casey Tibbs is a Paralympian athlete from the United States competing mainly in category P44 pentathlon events.
Brenda Taylor is an American track and field athlete who specialises in the 400 meter hurdles. She reached the final of the event at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She also competed at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics and won a medal at the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 4×400-meter relay.
Natasha Laren Mayers is a professional track and field sprinter who competes internationally for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. She is the national record holder over 60 metres, 100 metres, and 200 metres. She represented her country at the Summer Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004 and had the honour of being the national flag bearer at the latter edition. She has also appeared at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2001 and 2003, as well as taking part in the IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has competed at every edition of the Pan American Games since the eleventh edition of the multi-sport event in 1991. To date, all of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines's medals have been won in the sport of track and field. In 1995, Eswort Coombs won Saint Vincent and the Grenadines first medal, a bronze in the 400 metres track and field event. Kineke Alexander won the country's second medal, a bronze medal in the women's 400 metres in 2015. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines did not compete at the first and only Pan American Winter Games in 1990.
The 33rd CARIFTA Games was held in the National Stadium in Hamilton, Bermuda, on April 9–11, 2004. An appraisal of the results has been given.
During the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines appeared in their seventh consecutive Summer Olympics. The country sent three competitors to their team with wild card entries. Athlete Kineke Alexander reprised her role as the nation's flag bearer for the second time at the opening ceremony. As Alexander entered her second Olympics, athlete Courtney Carl Williams and swimmer Tolga Akcayli debuted at the 2012 Olympics. For Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, none of the country's competitors advanced past their individual heats. In overall standings, Akcayli had the highest 2012 Olympic finish for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines when he placed 45th in the men's 50 metre freestyle.
Virna De Angeli is an Italian former sprinter.
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