View source for Gwen Torrence

{{Short description|American sprinter (born 1965)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name             = Gwen Torrence  
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| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1965|6|12}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Gwen Torrence|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/to/gwen-torrence-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417051427/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/to/gwen-torrence-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 17, 2020|work=sports-reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=February 9, 2014}}</ref>
| birth_place      = [[Atlanta, Georgia]], U.S.
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| height           = 5 ft 7+1/2 in<ref>{{cite web|title=Gwen Torrence|url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/athletes/bios/TrackAndFieldArchive/2000/torrence.html|work=usatf.org|publisher=[[USA Track & Field]]|access-date=February 9, 2014}}</ref>
| weight           = 125 lb
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| sport            = [[Track and field]]
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| medaltemplates   = {{Medal|Sport | Women's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country | the {{USA}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold | [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]] | [[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Gold | 1992 Barcelona | [[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Gold | [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta]] | [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Silver | 1992 Barcelona | [[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze | 1996 Atlanta | [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1993 World Championships in Athletics|1993 Stuttgart]]| [[1993 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1995 World Championships in Athletics|1995 Gothenburg]]| [[1995 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |1995 Gothenburg| [[1995 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Silver |[[1991 World Championships in Athletics|1991 Tokyo]]| [[1991 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres|100 m]] }}
{{Medal|Silver |1991 Tokyo| [[1991 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 200 metres|200 m]] }}
{{Medal|Silver |1993 Stuttgart| [[1993 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver |1993 Stuttgart| [[1993 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze |1993 Stuttgart| [[1993 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1987 Pan American Games|1987 Indianapolis]] | [[Athletics at the 1987 Pan American Games|200 m]]}}
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| updated          = February 9, 2014
}}

'''Gwendolyn Lenna Torrence''' (born June 12, 1965) is a retired American [[Sprint (running)|sprinter]] and Olympic champion. She was born in [[Decatur, Georgia]]. She attended [[Columbia High School (Decatur, GA)|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/gwen-torrence|title = Gwen TORRENCE}}</ref>

Torrence won medals at the [[Summer Olympics]], [[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|Outdoor]] & [[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|Indoor World Championships]], [[Pan American Games]], [[Goodwill Games]], and [[World University Games]].
 
In 1988, Torrence achieved a tie with [[Evelyn Ashford]] in the 55&nbsp;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]].{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

In the 200&nbsp;m at the [[1995 World Championships in Athletics|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]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Gwen Torrence |url=http://gshf.org/pdf_files/inductees/track_and_field/gwen_torrence.pdf | website=[[Georgia Sports Hall of Fame]] | access-date=July 5, 2017 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305202658/http://gshf.org/pdf_files/inductees/track_and_field/gwen_torrence.pdf | archive-date=March 5, 2016 }}</ref>

==International competitions==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
|-
|1985
|[[Athletics at the 1985 Summer Universiade|World University Games]]
|[[Kobe]], [[Japan]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|4 × 100 m relay
|-
|rowspan=4|1987
|rowspan=2|[[Athletics at the 1987 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis]], United States
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|200&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|4 × 100 m relay
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Athletics at the 1987 Summer Universiade|World University Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Zagreb]], [[Yugoslavia]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|100&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|200&nbsp;m
|-
|rowspan=2|1988
|rowspan=2|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Seoul, South Korea]]
|5th
|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|100 m]]
|-
|6th
|200 m
|-
|1989
|[[1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Budapest]], [[Hungary]]
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|60&nbsp;m
|-
|rowspan=2|1991
|rowspan=2|[[1991 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|rowspan=2|[[Tokyo]], Japan
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|100&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|200&nbsp;m
|-
|rowspan=3|1992
|rowspan=3|[[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|rowspan=3|[[Barcelona]], [[Spain]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|200&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|4 × 100 m relay
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|4 × 400 m relay
|-
|rowspan=4|1993
|rowspan=4|[[1993 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|rowspan=4|[[Stuttgart]], [[Germany]]
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|100&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|200&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|4 × 100 m relay
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|4 × 400 m relay
|-
|rowspan=3|1994
|rowspan=3|[[Athletics at the 1994 Goodwill Games|Goodwill Games]]
|rowspan=3|[[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russia]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|100&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|200&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|4 × 100 m relay
|-
|rowspan=2|1995
|rowspan=2|[[1995 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|rowspan=2|[[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|100&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|4 × 100 m relay
|-
|rowspan=2|1996
|rowspan=2|[[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], United States
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|100&nbsp;m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|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)

==Awards==
* [[World Athletics Awards]]
:: World Athlete of the Year (Women)：1995<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Athletes of the Year |url=https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/651c81d5050f9b2bc0433282.pdf?_gl=1*6hkuqu*_ga*NjYxMTM1NTI5LjE3MTUyMjE3MTY.*_ga_7FE9YV46NW*MTcxNTIyMTcxNS4xLjEuMTcxNTIyMTcyMi4wLjAuMA.. |website=[[World Athletics]] |format=PDF |access-date=}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{USATF Hall of Fame|id=173}}
* {{World Athletics}}
* {{Olympics.com profile}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box
| before=[[Le Jingyi]] |
| title=[[United Press International Athlete of the Year Award#Female winners|United Press International<br>Athlete of the Year]] |
| after=none |
| years=[[1995 in sports|1995]]}}
{{succession box|title=[[Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award|Women's Track & Field ESPY Award]]|before=[[Gail Devers]]|after=[[Kim Batten]]|years=[[1995 in athletics (track and field)|1995]]}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|before=[[Merlene Ottey]]|title=[[200 metres#Women.27s Seasons Best|Women's 200m Best Year Performance]]|years=[[1992 in athletics (track and field)|1992]]<br>[[1994 in athletics (track and field)|1994]]–[[1995 in athletics (track and field)|1995]]|after=[[Merlene Ottey]]|after2=[[Marie-José Pérec]] & [[Mary Onyali]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{IAAF World Athlete of the Year (women)}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 200 m Women}}
{{Olympic champions 4 × 100 metres women}}
{{World champions 100 metres women}}
{{Footer World Champions 4 x 100 m Women}}
{{Footer World Champions 4 x 400 m Women}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions 200m Women}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 100m Women}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 200m Women}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 4x100m Women}}
{{USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in women's 200 m}}
{{Footer US NC 100m Women}}
{{Footer US NC 200m Women}}
{{Footer US NC Indoor 60m Women}}
{{Footer Australia NC 100m Women}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1988 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1992 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1996 Summer Olympics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torrence, Gwen}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Decatur, Georgia]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Atlanta]]
[[Category:American female sprinters]]
[[Category:African-American track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Georgia Bulldogs women's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Goodwill Games medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States]]
[[Category:IAAF World Athlete of the Year]]
[[Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1985 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1987 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1994 Goodwill Games]]
[[Category:Olympic female sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportswomen]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]
[[Category:Australian Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:United States collegiate record holders in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]