Johnny Gray facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Johnny Gray

Gray finishing 5th in the 800m at the 1988 Olympics
Personal information
Born	(1960-06-19) June 19, 1960 (age 65) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height	1.91 m
Weight	75 kg
Sport
Sport	Track
Event(s)	800 meters
College team	Santa Monica College Arizona State University
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	600 metres: 1:12.81 WB 800 metres: 1:42.60 1000 metres: 2:17.27
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States Olympic Games Bronze 1992 Barcelona 800 metres Pan American Games Gold 1987 Indianapolis 800 metres Gold 1999 Winnipeg 800 metres

John Lee Gray Jr. (born June 19, 1960) is a famous American runner. He was a top athlete in the 800-meter race from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He even held the world's best time for the 600-meter race!

Johnny Gray competed in four Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996). His biggest Olympic achievement was winning a bronze medal in the 800 meters at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. He also set a U.S. record for the 800 meters in 1985. This amazing time made him one of the fastest 800-meter runners ever.

Johnny Gray's Running Journey

Johnny Gray went to Crenshaw High School and later to 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 was part of the Santa Monica Track Club. His coach was Merle McGee.

In 1996, on his 36th birthday, Johnny Gray achieved something special. He won the Olympic Trials for the 800 meters. This made him the oldest American male track athlete to qualify for the Olympics in a running event.

Olympic Moments and Race Tactics

At the 1992 Summer Olympics, Gray led the 800-meter race very fast at the start. He was even running faster than the world record pace! However, during the last lap, two runners passed him. He still managed to win the bronze medal, which is a great achievement.

People sometimes joke about his racing style, calling it "taking it to the Gray zone." This means starting a race extremely fast. While this tactic sometimes led to amazing results, it also caused him to struggle in other races. For example, in the 1987 and 1993 World Championships, he ran out of energy before the finish line.

Johnny Gray's incredible career led to him being honored in many ways. In December 2008, he was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in the United States. He is also a member of the Santa Monica College Hall of Fame and the Millrose Games Hall of Fame. Several cities have even given him a "key to the city," which is a special honor.

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 many distances, from 200 meters to the mile.

When he was 40 years old, in 2001, he ran the 800 meters indoors in 1:48.81. 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 Career

After competing in six Olympic Trials between 1980 and 2000, Johnny Gray started coaching. He helped other runners become successful. One of his most famous students was Khadevis Robinson, who won five National Championships under Gray's guidance.

Gray also coached at Harvard-Westlake School for six years. Later, he became an assistant coach at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). When his head coach, Jeanette Bolden, moved to the University of Central Florida, Gray followed her there. Today, Gray coaches another top American runner, Duane Solomon.

Major Competition Results

Here are some of Johnny Gray's top results from big competitions:

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing the  United States
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