Floyd Heard
Encyclopedia
Floyd Wayne Heard is a retired track and field
sprinter
from the United States
, best known for setting the 1986 world's best year performance in the men's 200 metres. He did so on 1986-07-07 at a meet in Moscow
, Soviet Union
, clocking 20.12. A year later he won the title in the men's 200 metres at the 1987 Pan American Games
.
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(graduating 1985) and Texas A&M.
Heard didn't qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics
, but turned things around in 1989, winning the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
in 20.09, the season's second fastest time. He had occasional success in Europe, with much of the competition coming from his own teammates, before taking second in the World Cup. That year he was ranked number three in the world. He re-emerged in 2000, qualifying 2nd in the US Olympic Trials
(19.88), albeit as Michael Johnson
and Maurice Greene
retired, becoming the oldest American sprinter in history to make his first Olympic Team. Heard placed sixth in 200m semis in Sydney
(20.63).
Floyd also owns a still standing World Record as part of the Santa Monica Track Club
's scorching performance of 1:18.68 in 1994 in the 4 x 200 meter relay run, set at the Mt. SAC Relays
. His teammates in that race were Mike Marsh
, Leroy Burrell
, and Carl Lewis
.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, best known for setting the 1986 world's best year performance in the men's 200 metres. He did so on 1986-07-07 at a meet in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, clocking 20.12. A year later he won the title in the men's 200 metres at the 1987 Pan American Games
1987 Pan American Games
The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, from 7 August to 23 August 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas competed in 30 sports earning...
.
Background
Heard attended John Marshall High SchoolJohn Marshall High School (Wisconsin)
John Marshall High School is a public high school located on 4141 North 64th Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. John Marshall is part of the Milwaukee Public School system. The school had 1097 students during the 2004-2005 school year....
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
(graduating 1985) and Texas A&M.
Heard didn't qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, but turned things around in 1989, winning the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
in 20.09, the season's second fastest time. He had occasional success in Europe, with much of the competition coming from his own teammates, before taking second in the World Cup. That year he was ranked number three in the world. He re-emerged in 2000, qualifying 2nd in the US Olympic Trials
United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
(19.88), albeit as Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (athlete)
Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
and Maurice Greene
Maurice Greene (athlete)
Maurice Greene is a retired American track and field sprinter who specialized in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He is a former 100 m world record holder with a time of 9.79 seconds. During the height of his career he won four Olympic medals and was a five-time World Champion...
retired, becoming the oldest American sprinter in history to make his first Olympic Team. Heard placed sixth in 200m semis in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
(20.63).
Floyd also owns a still standing World Record as part of the Santa Monica Track Club
Santa Monica Track Club
The Santa Monica Track Club was formed in 1972 by Joe Douglas as a post-collegiate track club. By the 1980s, the team came to be a major player in worldwide Track and Field competition, with team members setting numerous World and National records...
's scorching performance of 1:18.68 in 1994 in the 4 x 200 meter relay run, set at the Mt. SAC Relays
Mt. SAC Relays
The Mt. SAC Relays are an annual track and field festival held primarily at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the Mt. San Antonio College campus in Walnut, California. The relays, held in April each year, were started by then track coach Hilmer Lodge in 1959. The meet attracts all levels and disciplines of...
. His teammates in that race were Mike Marsh
Mike Marsh
Michael Lawrence Marsh is a former American sprinter, the 1992 Olympic champion in the 200 m.-Biography:Marsh was born in Los Angeles, and attended high school at Hawthorne High School in Hawthorne, California where he was overshadowed by Henry Thomas who he joined on numerous championship relays...
, Leroy Burrell
Leroy Burrell
Leroy Russel Burrell is a former American athlete who twice set the world record for the 100 meters sprint, setting a time of 9.90 seconds in June 1991. This was broken by Carl Lewis in September at the World Track and Field Championships. In that race, Burrell came in second, yet he...
, and Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
.
External links
- Masters T&F 100 metres Dash All-Time Rankings 10.28 (2001)
- Masters T&F 200 metres Dash All-Time Rankings 20.31 (2002)
- Masters T&F 400 metres Dash All-Time Rankings 48.03 (2002)