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)	100m: 9.88 200m: 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 a very fast runner who competed in races like the 100 meters and 200 meters. Shawn won a gold medal in the 200-meter race at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He actually finished 4th in that 2008 race, but he moved up to silver after two other runners were disqualified. Shawn retired from running after the 2012 Olympic Trials.

Early Life and College

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 awards. He was named an All-American eleven times. He also won three national championships in college sports.

Early Career Success

In 2001, Shawn started the year strong. He won a gold medal at the Indoor World Championships in the 200-meter race. After that, he competed at the World Athletics Championships. There, he earned a bronze medal in the 200 meters. He shared this medal with Kim Collins. Shawn then won his second gold medal of the year at the Goodwill Games.

Fun Facts and Nicknames

Shawn Crawford was known for his fun personality. He sometimes did silly things at races. For example, at a 2002 race in Milan, he wore a Phantom of the Opera mask. This mask made it hard for him to see. He ended up running outside his lane and was disqualified from the race.

In 2003, Shawn was on a Fox TV show called Man vs. Beast. On the show, he raced against a zebra and a giraffe! The races were 100 meters long on a dirt track. He easily beat the giraffe. The race against the zebra was very close. Shawn said the zebra started too early. So, they raced again. Shawn got a good start, but the zebra sped up and won. The zebra finished in 9.957 seconds, while Shawn finished in 10.86 seconds. Shawn later joked, "tell the zebra I coulda whooped him."

Shawn also called himself "Cheetah Man." He even said he wanted to run in war paint! He always wanted people to watch out for him at every race.

Olympic Journey

In March 2004, Shawn was expected to win the 60-meter world indoor title. However, Jason Gardener from Great Britain beat him by a tiny amount.

Road to the 2004 Olympics

Shawn worked hard to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics. He finished third in the 100-meter trials. He ran his fastest time ever at 9.93 seconds. Maurice Greene won, and Justin Gatlin was second. A week later, Shawn won the 200-meter trials. He finished in 19.99 seconds, just ahead of Justin Gatlin. Then, in June, Shawn ran even faster in the 100 meters. He set a new personal best of 9.88 seconds in Eugene, Oregon.

2004 Athens Olympics

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Shawn competed in the 100-meter final. He finished fourth with a time of 9.89 seconds. He was only 0.04 seconds behind the winner, Justin Gatlin. This race was special because it was the first time four runners finished under 9.90 seconds.

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.

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

2008 Beijing Olympics

Shawn qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 200-meter dash. He finished second at the trials. In the 200-meter final at the Olympics, he first finished fourth. However, he was later given the silver medal. This happened because two other runners, Wallace Spearmon and Churandy Martina, were disqualified. They had run outside their lanes.

On August 28, Shawn showed great sportsmanship. He gave his silver medal to Churandy Martina. This was a very kind gesture. Later, in March 2009, a sports court upheld Martina's disqualification.

Later Career

Shawn won the 200-meter race at the 2009 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 that race. Usain Bolt won the race and set a new world record of 19.19 seconds.

Statistics

Shawn Crawford achieved a rare feat on April 12, 2002. He became the first man to run the 100 meters in under ten seconds and the 200 meters in under twenty seconds on the same day! He did this in Pretoria, South Africa.

Personal Best Times

These are Shawn's fastest times in different races:

Major Achievements

• 2001
  • World Championships in Athletics – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
    • 200 meters bronze medalist
  • World Indoor Championships – Lisbon, Portugal.
    • 200 meters gold medal
  • Goodwill Games – Brisbane, Australia.
    • 200 meters gold medal
• 2004
  • World Indoor Championships – Budapest, Hungary.
    • 60 meters silver medal
  • Olympic Games – Athens, Greece.
    • 200 meters gold medal
    • 4x100 meters relay silver medal
• 2008
  • 2008 Summer Olympics 200 meters Silver Medal
    • Shawn gave his Olympic silver medal to Churandy Martina. Martina had finished second but was later disqualified.

See also

In Spanish: Shawn Crawford para niños