Shawn Crawford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shawn Crawford

Shawn Crawford during the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin
Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1978-01-14) January 14, 1978 (age 47) Van Wyck, South Carolina, U.S.
Residence	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg)
Sport
Sport	Running
Event(s)	100 metres, 200 metres
College team	Clemson
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m: 9.88 200 m: 19.79
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 200 m Silver 2004 Athens 4 × 100 m relay Silver 2008 Beijing 200 m World Championships Bronze 2001 Edmonton 200 m World Indoor Championships Gold 2001 Lisbon 200 m Silver 2004 Budapest 60 m Goodwill Games Gold 2001 Brisbane 200 m

Shawn Crawford (born January 14, 1978) is a retired American sprint athlete. He was known for his fast running in short races. Shawn competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter events.

He won a gold medal in the 200-meter sprint at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He also earned a silver medal in the same event at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2008, he originally finished fourth but moved up to silver after other runners were disqualified. Shawn Crawford officially retired from running in 2013.

Shawn Crawford's Early Life and Career

Shawn Crawford was born in Van Wyck, South Carolina. He went to Indian Land High School. Later, he attended Clemson University. While at Clemson, he earned many honors for his athletic skills. He was named an All-American eleven times and won three national championships.

Starting His Professional Career

In 2001, Shawn Crawford began his professional career with a big win. He took home the gold medal in the 200-meter race at the Indoor World Championships. Later that year, he competed at the World Athletics Championships. There, he earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter race. He also won his second gold medal of the year at the Goodwill Games.

Shawn's Fun Personality

Shawn Crawford was known for his exciting personality. He sometimes did funny things at races. For example, at a 2002 race in Milan, he wore a mask. The mask made it hard for him to see, and he ran out of his lane. This led to him being disqualified from the race.

In 2003, Shawn was on a TV show called Man vs. Beast. He raced against a zebra and a giraffe over 100 meters on a dirt track. He easily beat the giraffe. The race against the zebra was very close. Shawn even joked later that he could have won if the zebra hadn't started early. He often called himself "Cheetah Man." He liked to entertain fans and even wanted to run in war paint.

Olympic and World Championship Highlights

Shawn Crawford had many memorable moments in his career. He competed in some of the biggest track and field events.

2004 Olympic Games Success

In 2004, Shawn Crawford had a fantastic year. He qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in both the 100-meter and 200-meter races. In the Olympic trials, he ran his fastest 100-meter race at the time, finishing in 9.93 seconds. He then won the 200-meter trial race with a time of 19.99 seconds.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Shawn ran the 100-meter final in 9.89 seconds. He finished fourth in a very fast race. This was the first time in history that four runners finished under 9.90 seconds in the same race. Shawn then went on to win the gold medal in the 200-meter race. His winning time was 19.79 seconds. He also helped the United States team win a silver medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay.

2008 Olympic Games and Sportsmanship

Shawn Crawford also competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He qualified for the 200-meter dash. In the final race, he initially finished fourth. However, two other runners were disqualified for running outside their lanes. This meant Shawn moved up to second place and won the silver medal.

Shawn Crawford (left) and Walter Dix (right) at the 2008 Olympics 200 m final

In a great act of sportsmanship, Shawn Crawford later gave his silver medal to Churandy Martina. Martina was one of the runners who had been disqualified. Shawn felt that Martina deserved the medal. However, the decision to disqualify Martina was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

2009 World Championships

In 2009, Shawn Crawford won the 200-meter race at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This allowed him to represent the United States at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. In the final, he ran his best time of the season, 19.89 seconds. He finished fourth in a very fast race. Usain Bolt set a new world record in that race.

Shawn Crawford's Personal Bests

Shawn Crawford achieved some impressive times in his career. Here are his fastest times in different sprint events:

• Shawn Crawford was the first man to run both a 100-meter race under 10 seconds and a 200-meter race under 20 seconds on the same day. He did this in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 12, 2002.

Images for kids

• 

  Shawn Crawford (left) and Walter Dix (right) at the 2008 Olympics 200 m final

See also

In Spanish: Shawn Crawford para niños