Introduction
Gwendolyn Lenna Torrence (born June 12, 1965) is a retired American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. She was born in Decatur, Georgia. She attended Columbia High School and the University of Georgia. She was offered a scholarship because of her athletic abilities, but she said she wasn't interested because she initially wanted to become a beautician. From the persuasion from her coaches and family, she chose to enroll to the University of Georgia.
In the early 1990s, Gwen Torrence was one of the best sprinters in the world, winning five Olympic medals, and three gold.
Torrence won medals at the Summer Olympics, Outdoor & Indoor World Championships, Pan American Games, Goodwill Games, and World University Games.
In 1988, Torrence achieved 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 for stepping out of her lane after finishing first. This left her idol, Merlene Ottey, to be promoted to first place.
In 2000 she was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | World University Games | Kobe, Japan | 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | |
| 1987 | Pan American Games | Indianapolis, United States | 1st | 200 m | |
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
| World University Games | Zagreb, Yugoslavia | 1st | 100 m | ||
| 1st | 200 m | ||||
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 5th | 100 m | |
| 6th | 200 m | ||||
| 1989 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | 60 m | |
| 1991 | World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 2nd | 100 m | |
| 2nd | 200 m | ||||
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | 1st | 200 m | |
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
| 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | ||||
| 1993 | World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 3rd | 100 m | |
| 2nd | 200 m | ||||
| 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | ||||
| 1994 | Goodwill Games | Saint Petersburg, Russia | 1st | 100 m | |
| 1st | 200 m | ||||
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 100 m | |
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | ||||
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 3rd | 100 m | |
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay |
National titles
- USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
- 100 m: 1995
- 200 m: 1988, 1993, 1995
- USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
- 55 m: 1989
- 60 m: 1994, 1995, 1996
- 200 m: 1994, 1996
Personal bests
- Outdoor
- 100-meter dash – 10.82 (1994)
- 200-meter dash – 21.72 (1992)
- 400-meter dash – 49.64 (1992)
- Indoor
- 50-meter dash – 6.07 (1996)
- 55-meter dash – 6.56 (1987)
- 60-meter dash – 7.02 (1996)