 Ashford in 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | April 15, 1957 (1957-04-15) (age 68)[1] Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 165 cm (5 ft 5 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 53 kg (117 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | 60–400 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personalbests | 60 yd: 6.54WR (1982) 100 m: 10.76 (1984) 200 m: 21.83 (1979) 400 m: 51.57 (1979)[2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Evelyn Ashford (born April 15, 1957) is an American retiredtrack and field athlete, the 1984Olympic champion in the100-meter dash, and the world record-holder in the60-yard dash. She ran under the 11-second barrier over 30 times and was the first woman to run under 11 seconds in an Olympic Games.[4] Ashford has the distinction of owning the longest unbroken athletics record (60y dash).
As a 19-year-old, Ashford finished fifth in the 100 m event at the1976 Summer Olympics. After beating the world record holders in the 100 m and 200 m in 1979 at the World Cup of Track and Field in Montreal, Ashford was one of the potential medalists for the1980 Summer Olympics, but these Games wereboycotted by the United States. Ashford also tore a quad muscle in 1980 and was out for the rest of the season.
In 1977, she won the first Broderick Award (now theHonda Sports Award) as the nation's best female collegiate track and field athlete.[5]
Ashford was ranked No. 1 in the world byTrack & Field News over 100 meters in 1979 and 1981,[6] and over 200 meters in 1981.[7] She also was named Track and Field News "Athlete of the Year" twice, in 1981 and 1984[8]
She again won the sprint double, at the world cup in Rome, in 1981.[9]
On July 3, 1983, she set her first world record for the 100 meters, running 10.79 seconds at the National Sports Festival inColorado Springs, Colorado,[2] and was one of the favorites to win the 100-meter title at theinaugural World Championships inHelsinki. In the final, however, she pulled ahamstring muscle and fell. The other main favorite,Marlies Göhr ofEast Germany (who had already beaten Ashford earlier that year), went on to win.
At the1984 Summer Olympics, Ashford had a chance to win a gold medal. However, she had to withdraw from the 200 m heats with a minor injury. She competed in the100 m, winning the event in a new Olympic record of 10.97 secs. As the anchor runner for 4 × 100 m relay team, she won a second gold medal. In the absence of World Champions and world record holders East Germany, the US team clocked one of the fastest times in history and won by the biggest margin ever at an Olympics, 1.12 seconds.[4]
Later in the season, she finally defeated her main rival Göhr at theWeltklasse meeting inZürich, Switzerland. The race saw Ashford make up half a meter or so over Göhr and lower her own world record to 10.76 seconds.[10] That race proved to be Ashford's personal record. It still ranks as the No. 13 individual all-time.[11] Ashford regained her No. 1Track & Field News ranking.[6]
At the1988 Summer Olympics, she was the flag bearer for the United States team at the Opening Ceremony. She was beaten in the 100 m byFlorence Griffith Joyner, who had broken her world record earlier in the season at theOlympic Trials. In the4 × 100 m relay she again ran the final leg, winning her third Olympic gold medal despite a less than perfect last exchange between Griffith-Joyner and Ashford that required Ashford to run a sensational final leg to overtake Göhr.[4]
At herlast Olympics inBarcelona, Ashford, aged 35, was eliminated in the 100 m semi-finals by 1/100 of a second; she went on to win her third straight Olympic 4 × 100 m relay gold, this time running the first leg. She is one of six women to have won four gold medals in track and field Olympic history.[4]
Ashford came back from season-ending injuries three times, to reach the top of the sport in the following year. In 1980 she injured her quad, and returned in 1981 with the sprint double at the World Cup and the number one world ranking in both sprints. After an injury in 1983, she became double Olympic Champion in 1984. In 1987 a hamstring pull prevented her from competing at the World Championships, then a season later added an Olympic Silver and third Gold medal to her collection.
On May 30, 1985, she gave birth to her daughter Raina Ashley Washington, and again came back for an excellent 1986, losing only once over both the 100 m and 200 m, and winning the 100 meter title at the Goodwill Games; earning another No. 1 ranking byTrack & Field News over the shorter distance.
After parting ways with her coachPat Connolly in 1985, Ashford was largely self-coached.
In 1997, Ashford was inducted into theNational Track and Field Hall of Fame,[9] where she is said to be "one of the greatest track and field runners ever". Ashford went to theUniversity of California, Los Angeles andRoseville High School. She was inducted into theUCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990.
| Olympic Games | ||
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| Preceded by | Flagbearer for United StatesSeoul 1988 | Succeeded by |
| Records | ||
| Preceded by | Women's 100 m World Record Holder July 3, 1983 – July 16, 1988 | Succeeded by |
| Awards and achievements | ||
| Preceded by | Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1981 1984 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Flo Hyman Memorial Award 1989 | Succeeded by |
| New award | Women's Track & Field ESPY Award 1993 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Women's 200 m Best Year Performance 1981 | Succeeded by |
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