Derek Redmond facts for kids
Redmond in 2007
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Derek Anthony Redmond | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 3 September 1965 Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, England |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Derek Anthony Redmond (born 4 September 1965) is a famous British sprinter who is now retired. During his running career, he held the British record for the 400 metres race. He also won gold medals in the 4x400 metres relay at important events. These included the World Championships and the European Championships.
Derek Redmond is best known for a powerful moment at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. He got a serious leg injury during the 400 metres semi-final. Even so, he decided to finish the race. His father came onto the track to help him. Together, they completed the lap, and the crowd cheered loudly. Even though he was not officially counted as finishing, this moment showed amazing courage. It has become a well-known part of Olympic history. It has even been used in videos and advertisements to show the true Olympic spirit.
About Derek Redmond
Derek Redmond was born in Bletchley, England. His parents came from the West Indies. He went to school at Roade School in Northamptonshire. Today, a sports hall at that school is named after him. He is also a big fan of the Newcastle United football team.
In 1994, Derek married Sharron Davies, who was a British Olympic swimmer. They had two children together. Later, they separated in 2000. In 2011, Derek married Maria Yates. He also adopted her two children, Lucia and Paola.
His Athletics Career
Derek Redmond was a very fast runner. In 1985, he broke the British record for the 400 metres race. He ran it in 44.82 seconds. Another runner, Roger Black, later broke this record. But Derek took it back in 1987. He ran the 400 metres in 44.50 seconds at the World Athletics Championships.
In 1986, Derek was part of a team that won a gold medal. They won the 4x400 metres relay at the European Championships. The next year, his team won a silver medal in the same relay at the World Championships.
At the 1991 World Championships, Derek's team did something amazing. They beat the strong American team to win the gold medal in the 4x400 metres relay. Derek ran the second part of the race. With his teammates Roger Black, John Regis, and Kriss Akabusi, they ran one of the fastest 4x400 metres relays ever.
Derek's career was often stopped by injuries. At the 1988 Olympics, he had to pull out of a race. This was because of an injury to his Achilles tendon. Before the 1992 Summer Olympics, he had already had eight operations due to injuries.
The 1992 Summer Olympics
By the time of the Barcelona Olympics, Derek was in good shape. He ran the fastest time in the first round. He then won his quarter-final race. In the semi-final, Derek started well. But about 250 metres from the finish line, he got a serious leg injury. He stopped running and fell to the ground in pain.
People came to help him, but Derek wanted to finish the race. He began to limp along the track. Soon, his father, Jim Redmond, came onto the track. He got past security to reach his son. Jim and Derek completed the lap together. Derek leaned on his father's shoulder for support. As they crossed the finish line, 65,000 people stood up and cheered for Derek. However, because his father helped him, Derek was officially not counted as finishing the race.
Derek's struggle in 1992 became famous. The International Olympic Committee made a video about it. It said: "Strength is measured in pounds. Speed is measured in seconds. Courage? You can't measure courage." In 2008, Derek was in advertisements for Visa. These ads promoted the Olympic Games. The advertisement showed his 1992 injury. It said that "he and his father finished dead last, but he and his father finished." The actor Morgan Freeman told the story.
On January 10, 2012, it was announced that his father Jim would carry the Olympic torch. This was for the Summer Games in London. Jim Redmond passed away in October 2022.
After Athletics
Two years after the Barcelona Olympics, a surgeon told Derek he might never run again. He also said Derek might not represent his country in sports. But Derek accepted this and looked for other sports he enjoyed. His father encouraged him. Derek then played professional basketball for Birmingham Bullets. He also played for the England national team.
Derek Redmond used to work for UK Athletics. He was the Director of Development for sprints and hurdles.
In 1994, Derek won a TV show called Celebrity Gladiators. He also worked as the "Official Timekeeper" for the referee on the show Gladiators. Derek has also been a commentator for Eurosport. He presented a basketball show on ITV.
In 2015, Derek joined a company called Thomas International. He became their Group Performance Director.
See also
In Spanish: Derek Redmond para niños
