Johnny Gray facts for kids
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Gray finishing 5th in the 800m at the 1988 Olympics
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 19, 1960 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Height | 1.91 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 75 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 800 meters | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Santa Monica College Arizona State University |
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| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 600 metres: 1:12.81 WB 800 metres: 1:42.60 1000 metres: 2:17.27 |
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Medal record
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John Lee Gray Jr., born on June 19, 1960, is a famous American runner. He was known for competing in the 800-meter race. Johnny Gray was one of the best 800-meter runners in the world from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He even holds the world's best time for the 600-meter race.
Gray competed in the Olympic Games four times, from 1984 to 1996. In 1985, he set a new U.S. record for the 800 meters. His time of 1 minute, 42.60 seconds was very fast. This time still ranks him among the fastest runners ever in that event. He won a bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
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Johnny Gray's Running Career
Johnny Gray went to Crenshaw High School, Santa Monica College, and Arizona State University. He also earned a graduate degree from California State University, Los Angeles. During his professional running career, he ran for the Santa Monica Track Club. His coach was Merle McGee.
Olympic Achievements
Gray competed in many important races, including the Olympics. He finished seventh in the 1984 Summer Olympics. He placed fifth in the 1988 Olympics. His biggest Olympic success was winning the bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
In 1996, Gray qualified for his fourth Olympics. He won the U.S. Olympic Trials on his 36th birthday. This made him the oldest American male track athlete to qualify for the Olympics at that time.
Race Strategy and Records
Johnny Gray was known for his bold racing style. In the 1992 Olympic 800-meter race, he started very fast. He ran the first lap at a pace faster than the world record. Even though other runners passed him in the final lap, he still earned the bronze medal.
When asked what he would do differently, he supposedly said, "I would have taken it out harder." This means he would have run even faster from the start. Runners sometimes call this aggressive tactic "taking it to the Gray zone." While this strategy led to great wins, it also sometimes meant he ran out of energy too soon.
Gray set the world record for the 600-meter race in 1986. His time was 1 minute, 12.81 seconds. He also held the U.S. indoor record for the 800 meters for many years.
Hall of Fame
Johnny Gray's amazing career was recognized in 2008. He was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in the United States. He is also a member of other Halls of Fame, including the Santa Monica College Hall of Fame. He received keys to several cities, like Santa Monica and New York.
Running as a Master Athlete
After his main career, Gray continued to run in masters athletics. This is for athletes who are older. He wanted to set new world records for older runners in races from 200 meters to the mile.
When he was 40 years old, in 2001, he ran the 800 meters indoors in 1 minute, 48.81 seconds. This was a World Masters Athletics record for indoor running. It was even faster than the outdoor world record for masters athletes at the time.
Coaching Other Runners
After competing in six Olympic Trials, Johnny Gray became a coach. He helped many runners improve their skills. One of his most famous students was Khadevis Robinson. Gray coached Robinson to win five National Championships.
Gray also coached at Harvard-Westlake School for six years. Later, he became an assistant coach at the University of California, Los Angeles. When his head coach moved to the University of Central Florida, Gray followed her. He has also coached top American runner Duane Solomon.
Johnny Gray's Competition Results
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
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Representing the  United States |
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| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States | 7th | 800 m | 1:47.89 |
| 1986 | Goodwill Games | Moscow, Soviet Union | 1st | 800 m | 1:46.52 |
| 1987 | Pan American Games | Indianapolis, United States | 1st | 800 m | 1:46.79 |
| World Championships | Rome, Italy | 30th (qf) | 800 m | 1:49.50 | |
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 5th | 800 m | 1:44.80 |
| 1990 | Goodwill Games | Seattle, United States | 7th | 800 m | 1:48.08 |
| 1991 | World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 6th | 800 m | 1:45.67 |
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | 3rd | 800 m | 1:43.97 |
| 1993 | World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 23rd (sf) | 800 m | 1:50.89 |
| 1994 | Goodwill Games | St. Petersburg, Russia | 10th | 800 m | 1:51.21 |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 7th | 800 m | 1:44.21 |
| 1998 | Goodwill Games | Uniondale, United States | 5th | 800 m | 1:47.20 |
| 1999 | Pan American Games | Winnipeg, Canada | 1st | 800 m | 1:45.38 |
See also
In Spanish: Johnny Gray para niños
