Hollis Conway

Hollis Conway (born January 8, 1967) is a track and field All-American and two-time Olympic medalist. Conway was the top-ranked high jumper in the U.S. seven straight years from 1988-94 and in the world for two of those years (1990 and 1991). Conway, John Thomas and Dwight Stones are the only Americans to win two Olympic medals in the high jump.

Originally born in Chicago, Illinois and a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Conway went 7-8 3/4 in the event at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, setting a U.S. collegiate record and earning a silver medal. He won a bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain after going 7-8 1/2 in winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials that year.

In 1989, Conway broke the American record twice in the high jump, winning the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship at 7-9 3/4 and the U.S. Olympic Festival at 7-10. He earned his first of two world No. 1 rankings in 1990 when he swept both the U.S. indoor and outdoor titles and won the Goodwill Games. He had ten jumps of 7-8 or better that year.

A six-time NCAA All-American and three-time NCAA champion at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then-University of Southwestern Louisiana), Conway also was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1991 by winning the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics in Seville, Spain, with an American indoor record of 7-10 1/2.

He defended his U.S. outdoor championship and won the 1991 World University Games, while finishing third in the 1991 Pan American Games and World Outdoor Championships. He was ranked third in the world in 1992 and 1993. He was a Goodwill Games runner-up in 1994.

Considered short in stature by world-class high jump standards, the six-foot tall Conway has held a distinction with four others in track and field history for jumping over their own heights. Conway's best jump was 22 1/2 inches greater than his height.

He wrote the forward of the "Complete Book of Jumps" (Human Kinetics Europe Ltd, 1995)

In all, Conway won ten USA championship high jump titles (five outdoor, five indoor) before his retirement at the 2000 Drake Relays. He is a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Drake Relays Hall of Fame.

Major achievements

ources

* [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/oldBios/1997/conway.asp USATF]
* [http://www.ragincajuns.com/Track/Stories/Track062604conway_inducted.htm Ragin Cajuns Network]
* [http://www.hollisconway.com/ Hollis Conway]
* [http://www.brainyhistory.com/events/1967/january_8_1967_132472.html Brain Network]
* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0873226739 Amazon]

External links

* [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/oldBios/1997/conway.asp USA Track and Field bio]
* [http://www.hollisconway.com/ Hollis Conway website]