Gwen Torrence

Gwen Torrence (born June 12, 1965) is a retired sprint athlete, one of the greatest of her generation and an Olympic gold medalist from the United States. She was born in Decatur, Georgia. She attended Columbia High School, then the University of Georgia.

Torrence has won medals at nearly every major athletics competition, including the Summer Olympics, Outdoor & Indoor World Championships, Pan American Games, Goodwill Games, and World University Games.

Her tally of golds would have improved had she been awarded those in which she had finished second to East German Katrin Krabbe, who later tested positive for clenbuterol.

In 1988, Torrence achieved, on one of those rare occasions in athletics, 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 after convincingly beating the field, for stepping out of her lane. This left her idol, Merlene Ottey, to be promoted to first place.

After retiring from athletics, Torrence became a hairdresser and lives with her children, a son named Manley and a daughter named E’mon.

Major Achievements

*1985
**World University Games - Kobe, Japan
***4 x 100 m relay gold medal
*1986
**National Championships
***200 m bronze medal
*1987
**Pan American Games - Indianapolis, United States
***200 m gold medal
***4 x 100 m. relay gold medal
**World University Games - Zagreb, Yugoslavia
***100 m gold medal
***200 m gold medal
*1988
**National Championships
***200 m gold medal
**National Indoor Championships
***55 m gold medal (tied)
**1988 Summer Olympics - Seoul, South Korea
***100 m fifth place
*1989
**World Indoor Championships - Budapest, Hungary
***60 m silver medal
**National Indoor Championships
***55 m gold medal
*1991
**World Championships - Tokyo, Japan
***100 m silver medal
***200 m silver medal
**National Championships
***100 m silver medal
***200 m silver medal
**National Indoor Championships
***60 m silver medal
*1992
**1992 Summer Olympics - Barcelona, Spain
***200 m. gold medal
***4 x 100 m relay gold medal
***4 x 400 m relay silver medal
**National Indoor Championships
***60 m silver medal
*1993
**World Championships - Stuttgart, Germany
***100 m bronze medal
***200 m silver medal
***4 x 100 m relay silver medal
***4 x 400 m relay gold medal
**National Championships
***100 m silver medal
***200 m gold medal
*1994
**1994 Goodwill Games - Saint Petersburg, Russia
***100 m gold medal
***200 m gold medal
***4 x 100 m. relay gold medal
**National Indoor Championships
***60 m gold medal
***200 m gold medal
*1995
**World Championships - Gothenburg, Sweden
***100 m gold medal
***4 x 100 m. relay gold medal
**National Championships
***100 m gold medal
***200 m gold medal
**National Indoor Championships
***60 m gold medal
*1996
**1996 Summer Olympics - Atlanta, United States
***100 m bronze medal
***4 x 100 m relay gold medal
**National Indoor Championships
***60 m gold medal
***200 m gold medal
*1997
**National Indoor Championships
***60 m silver medal

External links

* [http://gshf.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=315&Itemid=50 Georgia Sports Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=TORREGWE01 databaseOlympics]