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

Gail Devers is an amazing American athlete who used to compete in track and field. She was a top sprinter and hurdler, known for her speed in the 60 metres, 60 m hurdles, 100 m, and 100 m hurdles races. Many people consider her one of the greatest female sprinters ever.

Gail won gold medals at the Olympic Games in the 100 meters in both 1992 and 1996. This made her only the second woman in history to win the Olympic 100m title twice in a row! She also won many World Championship titles, including three in the 100m hurdles and one in the 100m. Her career was full of incredible wins and comebacks.

Early Life and Challenges

Gail Devers was born on November 19, 1966, in Seattle, Washington. She grew up in California and went to Sweetwater High School. Later, the school's stadium was even named Gail Devers Stadium in her honor!

Facing Health Issues

As a young athlete, Gail was very talented in the 100m and 100m hurdles. She was training for the 1988 Summer Olympics when she started having serious health problems. She suffered from bad headaches and even vision loss. Despite this, she still made it to the Olympics for the 100m hurdles. However, her health continued to get worse after the games.

In 1990, doctors found out she had a condition called Graves' disease. This is a problem with the thyroid gland, which controls how your body uses energy. She received treatment, but it caused her feet to blister and swell. At one point, it was so painful she could barely walk. Luckily, she recovered after the treatment was adjusted and was able to start training again.

Olympic and World Championship Success

Gail's comeback was incredible. At the 1991 World Championships, she won a silver medal in the 100m hurdles. This showed everyone she was back and ready to compete at the highest level.

Barcelona 1992 Olympics

The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona were a big moment for Gail. She reached the final of the 100m race, which was incredibly close. Five women finished almost at the same time! A photo finish showed that Gail had just barely won the gold medal.

Later, in the 100m hurdles final, which was her best event, Gail was leading the race. It looked like she would win another gold. But she hit the very last hurdle and stumbled, finishing in fifth place. It was a tough moment, but she had already proven herself a champion.

Dominating the World Stage

In 1993, Gail continued her winning streak. At the World Championships, she won the 100m title again in another very close race. She also won the 100m hurdles title that year. She kept her hurdles title in 1995, showing how consistently good she was.

Atlanta 1996 Olympics

The 100m final at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta was almost exactly like the one in 1993. Gail and another top sprinter, Merlene Ottey, finished at the same time. Again, a photo finish was needed. Gail was declared the winner, making her the first woman since Wyomia Tyus to win two Olympic 100m titles in a row!

Even though she didn't medal in her favorite 100m hurdles event at these Olympics, Gail still won a third Olympic gold medal. She was part of the 4 × 100m relay team that took home the gold.

Later Career and Achievements

After the 1996 Olympics, Gail focused more on the hurdles. She won the World Championship in the 100m hurdles again in 1999. She competed in her fifth Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

Gail took a break from competing in 2005 to have a child. She returned to the sport in 2006. In 2007, at 40 years old, she won the 60m hurdles at the Millrose Games. Her time was the best in the world that season for her age group.

Gail was also known for her very long, decorated fingernails. She even had to change her starting position to make sure her nails didn't get in the way! She grew them long because of a challenge from her father when she was a child to stop biting her nails.

Awards and Recognition

Gail Devers has received many honors for her amazing career.

• In 2011, she was chosen for the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.
• The next year, she was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
• In 2012, she also received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. This award celebrates former college athletes 25 years after they finished their college sports careers.

International Competitions

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 x 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 x 100 metres	41.95
1997	World Indoor Championships	Paris, France	1st	60 metres	7.06
	World Championships	Athens, Greece	1st	4 x 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 x 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)

See also

A robot friend for learning!

• Gail Devers para niños (Gail Devers in Spanish)