Dennis Mitchell

This article is about the American track and field athlete. For the U.S. comic strip character, see Dennis the Menace (U.S.). For similar named people, see Denis Mitchell.

Dennis Mitchell

Personal information
Full name	Dennis Allen Mitchell
Nationality	United States
Born	February 20, 1966 (1966-02-20) (age 45) Havelock, North Carolina
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	154 lb (70 kg)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	100 meters
College/university team	University of Florida
Medal record Men's Athletics Competitor for  United States Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona 4x100 m relay Silver 1996 Atlanta 4x100 m relay Bronze 1992 Barcelona 100 m World Championships Gold 1991 Tokyo 4x100 m relay Gold 1993 Stuttgart 4x100 m relay Bronze 1991 Tokyo 100 m Bronze 1993 Stuttgart 100 m

Dennis Allen Mitchell (born February 20, 1966) is a former American college and international track and field athlete, whose team won the gold medal in the 4 x 100 meters relay race at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Athletic career

Mitchell was born in Havelock, North Carolina. He received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he ran for the Florida Gators track and field team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1986 to 1989. At Florida, Mitchell was coached by Joe Walker (now at Ole Miss). Mitchell placed fourth in the 100 meters race at the 1988 Summer Olympics and missed a probable gold medal in the 4x100-meters relay race, because the American team was disqualified in the early heats, after the baton pass between teammates Calvin Smith and Lee McNeill was completed outside the exchange zone. In 1989, Mitchell won the NCAA championships in 200-meter race, and he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2005.^[1][2]

In 1991, just a month before the World Championships, Mitchell set his first world record in the 4x100-meters relay of 37.67 at Zürich. At the World Championships, Mitchell was again a member of the American 4 x 100 meters relay team, in which he set a new world record of 37.50 in the final. Mitchell also won a bronze medal in the individual 100 meters race.

In 1992, Mitchell won his first United States National Championships title in the 100 meters (he repeated this victory in 1994 and 1996). At the Barcelona Olympics, Mitchell ran his third world record in 4x100-meters relay of 37.40 and won again a bronze medal in the 100 meters race.

At the 1993 World Championships, Mitchell won his third bronze at the international championships in individual 100 meters and his third gold in relay event with a world record, as this time the American team equaled their own world record of 37.40.

Mitchell won a gold medal in 100 meters at the 1994 Goodwill Games, but injured himself in the heats of 100 -meters at the 1995 World Championships. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, Mitchell was fourth in 100 -meters and won a silver medal as a member of the second-place U.S. 4x100-meters relay team.

Personal

Mitchell is married to Damu Cherry-Mitchell, an Olympian in the 100-meter hurdles, and has three children. He coaches with the National Training Center in Clermont, as well as with his own club, Star Athletics.^[3] Students range from high-schoolers to Olympic hopefuls.

Doping history

In 1998, Mitchell was banned by IAAF for two years after a test showed high levels of testosterone. His defense of "five bottles of beer and sex with his wife at least four times . . . it was her birthday, the lady deserved a treat," was accepted by USA Track and Field but not by the IAAF.^[4] Mitchell made his final international appearance at the 2001 World Championships, where his team finished first in the 4 x 100 meters relay, but was subsequently disqualified because of BALCO scandal involvement by a teammate.

On May 1, 2008, it was announced that the U.S. government, in its trial against Trevor Graham, would have Mitchell, as well as Antonio Pettigrew as witnesses, with Mitchell to testify that Graham injected him with human growth hormone.^[5]

See also

	Biography portal
	Olympics portal

• Florida Gators
• List of University of Florida Olympians

References

1. ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
2. ^ "Nine Hall of Fame Inductees Announced," GatorZone.com (September 30, 2004). Retrieved July 22, 2011.
3. ^ http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20100828/ARTICLES/100829408?p=1&tc=pg
4. ^ "The most corrupt race ever". The Guardian (London). http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,1270863,00.html. 
5. ^ Wilson, Duff (3 May 2008). "Gold Medalist Listed as Banned-Drug User". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/sports/othersports/03track.html. 

External links

• Masters T&F 100 metres Dash All-Time Rankings 10.11 (2001)
• Masters T&F 200 metres Dash All-Time Rankings 20.45 (2001)

Awards
Preceded by Michael Johnson	Men's Track & Field ESPY Award 1995	Succeeded by Michael Johnson

Persondata
Name	Mitchell, Dennis
Alternative names	Mitchell, Dennis Allen; Mitchell, Dennis A.
Short description	American college track and field athlete, international track and field athlete, Olympic gold medalist
Date of birth	February 20, 1966
Place of birth	Havelock, North Carolina, United States
Date of death
Place of death