Shawn Crawford
Encyclopedia
Shawn Crawford is an American
sprint
athlete. He competes in the 100 meters
and 200 meters
events. He won gold
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
and silver
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in the 200 meters.
Crawford holds the record for the fastest 100 meters run to place fourth. In August 2004, he ran 9.89 seconds in the Olympic final in Athens.
, South Carolina
. He attended Indian Land High School before leaving for Clemson University
, where he claimed 11 All-America honors and three National Championships.
In a successful 2001 Crawford started the year with a victory at the Indoor World Championships
in the 200 m. He then went to the World Athletics Championships
, where he tied with Kim Collins
of Saint Kitts and Nevis
for the 200 m bronze medal
. He then travelled to the Goodwill Games
, where he claimed his second gold medal of the year.
The next two years of Crawford's career were most memorable for his outrageous antics and lack of focus. At a 2002 meet in Milan
, he put on a Phantom of the Opera mask just prior to the beginning of his 200 m race. The mask became dislodged during the race obstructing his vision and causing him to run out of his lane and be disqualified. He claimed to have tested the mask in advance by sticking his head out of a car window while wearing it.
In January 2003, Crawford starred in an episode of the Fox TV show Man vs. Beast
in which he raced a zebra and a giraffe over 100 m on dirt. In the first race he easily bested the giraffe (which was separated from him by a metal fence and may have been a bit disoriented). The zebra race was very close with the zebra slowly pulling ahead for victory. Accusing the zebra of a false start, he re-raced the zebra getting out of the blocks first and taking a lead. This caused the zebra to speed up, finishing in 9.90s to Crawford's 10.14s time. Later he boasted to ESPN the Magazine
, "tell the zebra I coulda whooped him." According to the USATF website Crawford refers to himself as "Cheetah Man." He has publicly expressed his desire to run in war paint and urges spectators to look out for him at every meet.
After the relatively unsuccessful and unfocused 2002 and 2003 Crawford burst back in March 2004, where he was fancied for the 60 meters
world indoor title. However, he came up against an in-form Jason Gardener
from Great Britain
, who edged him into the silver medal position by three hundredths of a second.
In the trials for the 2004 Summer Olympics
Crawford gained his place in the team by claiming third in the 100 m with a personal best of 9.93s behind winner Maurice Greene
and second placed Justin Gatlin
, but bettered that seven days later with first place in the 200 m with a time of 19.99s, this time pushing Gatlin into second with Bernard Williams
taking third. In June Crawford improved on his 100 m personal best when running 9.88s in Eugene, Oregon
, to leave him as a real medal contender for the Athens Games.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, Crawford ran the 100 m final in 9.89s, finishing in fourth place just 0.04s behind first place finisher, Justin Gatlin
, his friend and training partner. That was the first race in history with four competitors under 9.90s. Crawford went on to win the gold medal in the 200 m in 19.79s. Later, he claimed a silver as part of the US 4 x 100 m relay
team.
He qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics
in the 200 m dash, finishing second at the trials after failing to qualify in the 100 m. He originally finished fourth in the 200 m final, but was later promoted to 2nd, winning silver, after fellow countryman Wallace Spearmon
and Churandy Martina
of the Netherlands Antilles
were both disqualified for lane infringements. Crawford gave his medal to Martina on August 28, 2008 in a tremendous show of sportsmanship. On March 6, 2009, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
rejected an appeal by the National Olympic Committee of the Netherlands Antilles
against Martina's disqualification.
Crawford won the 200 m at the 2009 US Championships
, and qualified to represent the United States at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
. He ran 19.89s in the final of the competition
, his best of the season. However, he was pipped to the bronze medal by Spearmon, and was some distance behind winner Usain Bolt
, who set a new world record of 19.19s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sprint
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...
athlete. He competes in the 100 meters
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and 200 meters
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
events. He won gold
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and silver
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in the 200 meters.
Crawford holds the record for the fastest 100 meters run to place fourth. In August 2004, he ran 9.89 seconds in the Olympic final in Athens.
Biography
Crawford was born in Van WyckVan Wyck, South Carolina
Van Wyck is an unincorporated community in the panhandle of Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States. There are many ways of pronouncing the name of the community- Wick, Wack, and Wike...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. He attended Indian Land High School before leaving for Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, where he claimed 11 All-America honors and three National Championships.
In a successful 2001 Crawford started the year with a victory at the Indoor World Championships
IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics
The International Association of Athletics Federations World Indoor Championships were inaugurated as the World Indoor Games in 1985 in Paris, France and were subsequently renamed in 1987 as they are known today.-History:...
in the 200 m. He then went to the World Athletics Championships
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
, where he tied with Kim Collins
Kim Collins
Kim Collins is a track and field sprinter from the Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 2003, he became the World Champion in the 100 m. He represented his country at the Summer Olympics on four occasions, from 1996 to 2008, and was the country's first athlete to ever reach an event...
of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....
for the 200 m bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. He then travelled to the Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
, where he claimed his second gold medal of the year.
The next two years of Crawford's career were most memorable for his outrageous antics and lack of focus. At a 2002 meet in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, he put on a Phantom of the Opera mask just prior to the beginning of his 200 m race. The mask became dislodged during the race obstructing his vision and causing him to run out of his lane and be disqualified. He claimed to have tested the mask in advance by sticking his head out of a car window while wearing it.
In January 2003, Crawford starred in an episode of the Fox TV show Man vs. Beast
Man vs. Beast
Man vs. Beast is a series of sensationalistic television specials aired in the United States by the Fox television network. The shows were produced by Brian Richardson and directed by Bob Levy. They involve a variety of challenges in which people and animals compete against each other. Although the...
in which he raced a zebra and a giraffe over 100 m on dirt. In the first race he easily bested the giraffe (which was separated from him by a metal fence and may have been a bit disoriented). The zebra race was very close with the zebra slowly pulling ahead for victory. Accusing the zebra of a false start, he re-raced the zebra getting out of the blocks first and taking a lead. This caused the zebra to speed up, finishing in 9.90s to Crawford's 10.14s time. Later he boasted to ESPN the Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
, "tell the zebra I coulda whooped him." According to the USATF website Crawford refers to himself as "Cheetah Man." He has publicly expressed his desire to run in war paint and urges spectators to look out for him at every meet.
After the relatively unsuccessful and unfocused 2002 and 2003 Crawford burst back in March 2004, where he was fancied for the 60 meters
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
world indoor title. However, he came up against an in-form Jason Gardener
Jason Gardener
Jason Carl Gardener is a retired British sprint athlete, and former World Indoor Champion. Gardener was educated at Beechen Cliff School and the City of Bath College, and went on to graduate from Bath Spa University.-Athletics career:Gardener started his career at the World Junior Championships in...
from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, who edged him into the silver medal position by three hundredths of a second.
In the trials for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
Crawford gained his place in the team by claiming third in the 100 m with a personal best of 9.93s behind winner 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...
and second placed Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin is an American sprinter. He is an Olympic gold medalist, with a 100 m personal best of 9.85 seconds. He served a four-year ban from track and field for testing positive for a banned substance; Gatlin had appealed the ban in 2009, but it was later denied.- Biography :Gatlin attended...
, but bettered that seven days later with first place in the 200 m with a time of 19.99s, this time pushing Gatlin into second with Bernard Williams
Bernard Williams (athlete)
Bernard Rollen Williams, III is an American track and field athlete and winner of a gold medal in 4×100-meters relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics.- Biography :Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Bernard Williams won the 100 m at the 1999 Pan-American Games....
taking third. In June Crawford improved on his 100 m personal best when running 9.88s in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, to leave him as a real medal contender for the Athens Games.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Crawford ran the 100 m final in 9.89s, finishing in fourth place just 0.04s behind first place finisher, Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin is an American sprinter. He is an Olympic gold medalist, with a 100 m personal best of 9.85 seconds. He served a four-year ban from track and field for testing positive for a banned substance; Gatlin had appealed the ban in 2009, but it was later denied.- Biography :Gatlin attended...
, his friend and training partner. That was the first race in history with four competitors under 9.90s. Crawford went on to win the gold medal in the 200 m in 19.79s. Later, he claimed a silver as part of the US 4 x 100 m relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
team.
He qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in the 200 m dash, finishing second at the trials after failing to qualify in the 100 m. He originally finished fourth in the 200 m final, but was later promoted to 2nd, winning silver, after fellow countryman Wallace Spearmon
Wallace Spearmon
Wallace Spearmon, Jr., is a sprint athlete, who specializes in the 200 meters. He is a two-time NCAA outdoor champion in the 200 m and won the silver medal in the event at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics...
and Churandy Martina
Churandy Martina
Churandy Martina is a sprinter from Curaçao, currently representing the Netherlands. His personal best time over 100 metres is 9.93 seconds, a national record, achieved in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games final...
of the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
were both disqualified for lane infringements. Crawford gave his medal to Martina on August 28, 2008 in a tremendous show of sportsmanship. On March 6, 2009, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
rejected an appeal by the National Olympic Committee of the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
against Martina's disqualification.
Crawford won the 200 m at the 2009 US Championships
2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships took place between June 25–28 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The competition acted as a way of selecting the United States team for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin later that year....
, and qualified to represent the United States at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
United States at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
United States compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of over 100 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Team USA athletes honoured Jessie Owens' memory by displaying the letters JO on their competition singlets. Selected athletes achieved...
. He ran 19.89s in the final of the competition
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres
The men's 200 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on August 18 and August 20.The race favourites were Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt. Gay entered the competition as the reigning world champion, championship record holder, and 200 m world leader with...
, his best of the season. However, he was pipped to the bronze medal by Spearmon, and was some distance behind winner Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
, who set a new world record of 19.19s.
Personal bests
| Date | Event | Venue | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 28, 2004 | 60 meters 60 metres 60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
Boston, Massachusetts, United States | 6.47 |
| June 19, 2004 | 100 meters 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... , United States |
9.88 |
| August 26, 2004 | 200 meters 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... |
Athens, Greece | 19.79 |
| June 7, 2009 | 300 meters | Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... , United States |
32.47 |
- All information from IAAF Profile
Major achievements
- 2001
- World Championships in Athletics2001 World Championships in AthleticsThe 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.- 200 m bronze medalist
- World Indoor Championships2001 IAAF World Indoor ChampionshipsThe 8th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon, Portugal from March 9 to March 11 2001. It was the first time the Championships had been held in Portugal...
- LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal.- 200 m gold medal
- Goodwill GamesGoodwill GamesThe Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
- BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia.- 200 m gold medal
- World Championships in Athletics
- 2004
- World Indoor Championships2004 IAAF World Indoor ChampionshipsThe 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Budapest Arena, Hungary between March 5 and March 7, 2004...
- BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary.- 60 m silver medal
- Olympic Games2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
- AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece.- 200 m gold medal
- 4x100 m relay silver medal
- World Indoor Championships
- 2008
- 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
200 m Silver Medal- On January 31, 2009 according to the Associated Press "Shawn Crawford confirmed that he gave his Olympic silver medal to Churandy Martina, the sprinter who finished second in the 200 meters but was later disqualified for running out of his lane"
- 2008 Summer Olympics
External links
- Shawn Crawford's U.S. Olympic Team bio
- Video Interview of Shawn Crawford during the 100th Millrose Games