Gail Devers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gail Devers

Gail Devers during her induction to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, 2011
Personal information
Born	November 19, 1966 (1966-11-19) (age 58) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Height	5 ft 3 in
Weight	121 lb
Sport
Event(s)	Hurdles, Sprints
College team	University of California, Los Angeles
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona 100 m Gold 1996 Atlanta 100 m Gold 1996 Atlanta 4 × 100 m relay World Championships Gold 1993 Stuttgart 100 m Gold 1993 Stuttgart 100 m hurdles Gold 1995 Gothenburg 100 m hurdles Gold 1997 Athens 4 × 100 m relay Gold 1999 Seville 100 m hurdles Silver 1991 Tokyo 100 m hurdles Silver 1993 Stuttgart 4 × 100 m relay Silver 2001 Edmonton 100 m hurdles World Indoor Championships Gold 1993 Toronto 60 m Gold 1997 Paris 60 m Gold 2003 Birmingham 60 m hurdles Gold 2004 Budapest 60 m Silver 2004 Budapest 60 m hurdles Pan American Games Gold 1987 Indianapolis 100 m Gold 1987 Indianapolis 4 × 100 m relay

Yolanda Gail Devers (/ˈdiːvərz/ DEE-vərz) is an amazing American athlete. She used to compete in track and field events like the 60 metres, 60 m hurdles, 100 m, and 100 m hurdles. Gail is known as one of the best female sprinters ever.

She won many big titles during her career. She was a world indoor champion in the 60 meters three times (1993, 1997, 2004). In the 60-meter hurdles, she won a world indoor championship in 2003 and a silver medal in 2004.

Gail Devers made history in the 100 meters. She is only the second woman to win two Olympic gold medals in a row for this event. She won at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and again at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She also won the 100-meter world championship in 1993. This made her the first female sprinter to hold both the world and Olympic titles in the 100 meters at the same time!

In the 100-meter hurdles, she was a world champion in 1993, 1995, and 1999. She also earned silver medals in 1991 and 2001. In 2011, Gail Devers was honored by being added to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Gail Devers: Early Life and Career Beginnings

Gail Devers was born in Seattle, Washington, on November 19, 1966. She grew up in National City, California. She finished high school at Sweetwater High School in 1984. Later, the football and track stadium at Sweetwater was named Gail Devers Stadium in her honor.

Gail was a very talented young athlete. She was especially good at the 100 meters and 100-meter hurdles. As she trained for the 1988 Summer Olympics, she started having health problems. She suffered from bad headaches and even lost some of her vision.

Even with her health issues, she qualified for the 100-meter hurdles at the 1988 Olympics. She made it to the semi-finals but did not reach the final. Her health continued to get worse after the Olympics.

Overcoming Health Challenges

In 1990, doctors found out Gail had a condition called Graves' disease. This is a problem with the thyroid gland. She received treatment for it. During her treatment, Gail's feet started to blister and swell. It got so bad that she could barely walk.

Luckily, Gail recovered after her treatment was stopped. She was able to start training again. In 1991, she showed her strength by winning a silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the World Championships. This was an amazing comeback!

Olympic Gold and World Titles

The 1992 Summer Olympics were a big moment for Gail Devers. She reached the final of the 100 meters. It was a very close race, with five women finishing almost at the same time. A photo finish showed that Gail had just barely won, beating Juliet Cuthbert from Jamaica. She earned her first Olympic gold medal!

In the 100-meter hurdles, which was her best event, Gail was hoping for another gold. But she hit the last hurdle and stumbled. She finished in fifth place. Voula Patoulidou from Greece surprisingly won that race.

In 1993, Gail Devers continued her winning streak. She won the 100-meter title at the World Championships. This was another incredibly close race, where she beat Merlene Ottey in a photo finish. She also won the 100-meter hurdles title that year. She successfully defended her hurdles title in 1995.

More Olympic Success

The 100-meter final at the 1996 Summer Olympics was very similar to the 1993 World Championships. Gail Devers and Merlene Ottey finished with the exact same time again. No one knew who had won! The photo finish showed Gail had crossed the line first. She became the first woman since Wyomia Tyus to win the Olympic 100-meter title twice in a row.

In her favorite event, the 100-meter hurdles, Gail finished fourth and did not win a medal. However, she won her third Olympic gold medal as part of the 4 × 100-meter relay team.

After these Olympics, Gail focused more on the hurdles. She won the World Championship in 1999. She competed in her fifth Olympic Games in 2004 in Athens.

Later Career and Amazing Feats

Gail Devers took a break from competing in 2005 to have a child. She returned to the sport in 2006.

On February 2, 2007, when she was 40 years old, Gail Devers won the 60-meter hurdles event at the Millrose Games. She beat the 2004 Olympic champion, Joanna Hayes. Her time of 7.86 seconds was the best in the world that season. It was also much faster than any other 40-year-old had ever run that race!

Gail Devers was also famous for her very long, decorated fingernails. She was one of the fastest starters in the world. She even had to change her starting position a little bit to make room for her long nails! She grew her nails long because her father had a contest to help her stop biting them when she was a child.

Major Competition Results

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
Representing the  United States
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	8th (sf)	100 metres hurdles	13.51
1991	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	2nd	100 metres hurdles	12.63
1992	Olympic Games	Barcelona, Spain	1st	100 metres	10.82
			5th	100 metres hurdles	12.75
1993	World Indoor Championships	Toronto, Canada	1st	60 metres	6.95
	World Championships	Stuttgart, Germany	1st	100 metres	10.82
			1st	100 metres hurdles	12.46
			2nd	4 × 100 metres	41.49
1995	World Championships	Göteborg, Sweden	1st	100 metres hurdles	12.68
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	1st	100 metres	10.94
			4th	100 metres hurdles	12.66
			1st	4 × 100 metres	41.95
1997	World Indoor Championships	Paris, France	1st	60 metres	7.06
	World Championships	Athens, Greece	1st	4 × 100 metres	41.47
1999	World Indoor Championships	Maebashi, Japan	2nd	60 metres	7.02
	World Championships	Seville, Spain	5th	100 metres	10.95
			1st	100 metres hurdles	12.37
			4th	4 × 100 metres	42.30
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney, Australia	—	100 metres hurdles	DNF (sf)
2001	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	2nd	100 metres hurdles	12.54
2002	IAAF World Cup	Madrid, Spain	1st	100 metres hurdles	12.65
2003	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	1st	60 metres hurdles	7.81
	World Championships	Paris, France	6th	100 metres	11.11
			3rd (sf)	100 metres hurdles	12.87
	World Athletics Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	1st	100 metres hurdles	12.45
2004	World Indoor Championships	Budapest, Hungary	1st	60 metres	7.08
			2nd	60 metres hurdles	7.78
	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	7th (sf)	100 metres	11.22
			—	100 metres hurdles	DNF (sf)

Awards and Honors

Gail Devers has received many awards for her amazing career.

• In 2011, she was chosen for the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.
• The next year, in 2012, she was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
• In November 2012, Gail was given the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. This award is given to former college athletes who have done great things 25 years after their college sports careers ended.

See also

In Spanish: Gail Devers para niños