View source for LaTasha Colander

{{short description|American track and field sprinter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
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| image            = LaTasha Colander Sydney 2000.JPEG
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| caption          = LaTasha Colander, Sydney 2000
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| birth_date       = {{birth-date and age|August 23, 1976}}
| birth_place      = [[Portsmouth, Virginia]], U.S.
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{{MedalSport|Women's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
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{{MedalCompetition|[[Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|4 × 400 m Relay]]}}
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'''LaTasha Colander''' (born August 23, 1976, in [[Portsmouth, Virginia]]) is a retired [[track and field]] sprinter who competed internationally for the United States.  In 1994, on athletic scholarship, Colander enrolled at, and later graduated from, the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]].

In 1994, in the [[100 metres hurdles|100 m hurdles]], Colander was the USA Juniors champion, and placed second in the World Junior Champs.  Yet soon, she switched to sprints.  In 2000 and 2001, she was the U.S. champion in the [[400 metres|400 m]].  In April 2000, her team set the women's world record in the [[4 × 200 metres relay|4 × 200&nbsp;m relay]], a record standing over 15 years onward.<ref>Record current in April 2017.</ref>

In the [[2000 Olympics]], Colander won a gold medal in the [[4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]].<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=LaTasha Colander-Richardson |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/latasha-colander-richardson-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203013728/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/latasha-colander-richardson-1.html |archive-date=December 3, 2016}}</ref> Upon her teammate [[Marion Jones]]'s 2007 admission of illegal [[doping (sport)|doping]], the [[International Olympic Committee]] stripped the whole team's medals; in 2010, however, by a successful appeal, all team members except Jones had their medals restored.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=5385884 |title=US relay runners win Olympic medals appeal |agency=Associated Press |date=July 16, 2010 |publisher=ESPN}}</ref>

Colander missed the [[2001 World Championships in Athletics|2001 World Championships]] because of a [[quadriceps]] injury.  In 2003, she switched concentration to the 100&nbsp;m, and won the 2004 [[United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|US Olympic Trials]] in this shorter event.  At the [[2005 World Championships in Athletics|2005 World Championships]], she placed fifth in the [[200 metres|200 meters]].

In 2000, Colander had established the [[LC Treasures Within Foundation]], its mission to strengthen kids, families, and the world through education, sports, and spirituality.

In 2014, Colander was inducted into the [[Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum|Virginia Sports Hall of Fame]].

==Achievements==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
|-
! colspan="6" | Representing the {{flagu|United States}}
|-
|rowspan=2|1994
|rowspan=2|[[1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]
|rowspan=2|[[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]]
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|100m hurdles
|[[1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres hurdles|13.30]] <small>(wind: +0.5&nbsp;m/s)</small>
|-
| —
|4 × 100 m relay
|[[1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|DQ]]
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2000
| rowspan=2 | [[2000 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Sydney, Australia]]
| quarter-finals
| 400 m
| [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metres|52.07]]
|-
| bgcolor=gold | 1st
| 4 × 400 m
| [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay|3:22.62]]
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2004
| rowspan=2 | [[2004 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Athens, Greece]]
| 8th
| 100 m
| [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|11.18]]
|-
| —
| 4 × 100 m
| [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|DNF]]
|-
| 2005
| [[2005 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
| [[Helsinki, Finland]]
| 5th
| 200 m
| [[2005 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 200 metres|22.66]]
|}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* {{World Athletics|name=LaTasha Colander}}
* [http://www.legacy.usatf.org/athletes/bios/TrackAndFieldArchive/2006/Colander_LaTasha.asp LaTasha Colander] at [[USA Track & Field]]
* {{Team USA|new_id=latasha-colander|old_id=CO/Latasha-Colander|archive=20221221224734}}
* {{Olympics.com|latasha-colander|LaTasha Colander}}
* {{Olympedia|name=LaTasha Colander-Richardson}}
* [https://vasportshof.com/inductee/latasha-colander-clark/ LaTasha Colander Clark] at the [[Virginia Sports Hall of Fame]]

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x400 m Women}}
{{Footer US NC 100m Women}}
{{Footer US NC 400m Women}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2000 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2004 Summer Olympics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colander, LaTasha}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American female hurdlers]]
[[Category:American female sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Portsmouth, Virginia]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Virginia]]
[[Category:North Carolina Tar Heels women's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Woodrow Wilson High School (Portsmouth, Virginia) alumni]]
[[Category:African-American track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:World Athletics record holders (relay)]]
[[Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportswomen]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]


{{US-sprint-athletics-bio-stub}}