Darren Clark facts for kids

Darren Edward Clark, born on September 6, 1965, in Sydney, Australia, is a famous retired Australian sprinter. He was best known for running the 400 metres race very fast.

Darren Clark: Australia's Fast Sprinter

Early Career and Olympic Dreams

Darren Clark was a top athlete who ran for Australia. He competed in many big races around the world. He was especially good at the 400-meter sprint. This is a tough race where runners have to sprint almost a full lap of the track.

Setting Records

One of Darren's biggest achievements was his personal best time in the 400 meters. He ran it in 44.38 seconds at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. This is still the fastest time ever run by an athlete from Oceania. To give you an idea, this time would have won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

Darren also holds an Oceanian record in the 4 x 400 meters relay race. In this race, four runners each run 400 meters. With his teammates Bruce Frayne, Gary Minihan, and Rick Mitchell, they ran it in 2 minutes and 59.70 seconds. They set this record at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Olympic Achievements

Darren Clark was very consistent at the Olympics. He finished in fourth place in the 400 meters at two Olympic Games in a row: in 1984 and again in 1988. This shows how strong a competitor he was.

A Break for Rugby

In 1991, Darren decided to try something different. He took a break from running track and played rugby league for a season. He joined the Balmain Tigers team in New South Wales. He mostly played in the reserve grade as a winger. He even scored 11 tries! During this time, he was known as the "Fastest white man alive" because of his incredible speed.

Return to the Track

After his rugby league season, Darren returned to athletics in 1992. He was chosen to be part of the Australian team for the Barcelona Olympics. Sadly, he had to pull out of the competition. He suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon, which is a strong cord at the back of your ankle.

Hall of Fame Recognition

Darren Clark's amazing career has been recognized with special honors. In 2000, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. This is a very prestigious award for Australian athletes. Later, in 2014, he was also inducted into the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame. These honors celebrate his lasting impact on Australian sports.

Darren Clark's Big Races

Here is a list of some of Darren Clark's major international competitions and his results:

See also

In Spanish: Darren Clark para niños