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Alvin Harrison

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Alvin Harrison
File:Alvin Harrison 400m Sprinter.png
Personal information
Full nameAlvin Leonardo Harrison[1]
BornJanuary 20, 1974 (1974-01-20) (age 50)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[1]
Weight176 lb (80 kg)[1]
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney 400 m
Disqualified 2000 Sydney 4×400 m relay [a]

Alvin Leonardo Harrison (born January 20, 1974) is an American, Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist track and field athlete who competed in 200m and 400m sprinting events. He won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at both the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics and a silver medal in the 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

File:Alvin Harrison 400m Sprinter.png

Biography

Born in Orlando, Florida, Harrison is the twin brother of fellow Olympic medalist Calvin Harrison. A year before their first attempt to make the Olympic team, the twins were living in their Ford Mustang. While Calvin was the star in high school, setting the National High School Record in the 400 meters, it was Alvin who earned the first Olympic spot in 1996 at the 1996 Olympic Trials. While he made the finals in the individual 400 meters, he drew lane one and finished fourth behind Michael Johnson's gold medal performance. But Johnson injured himself setting the world record in the 200 meters. Without their Gold medalist and also without world record holder Butch Reynolds, the American team looked vulnerable in the 4 x 400 meters relay. The British team looked to take advantage by going out hard in the lead, however as the second leg of the team, Alvin over took Jamie Baulch on the home stretch to put USA into the lead, a lead they ultimately would not relinquish, giving Alvin a gold medal.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Alvin Harrison and Calvin Harrison made history by becoming the first twins ever to compete and win Olympic gold medals together on the same relay team since the inception of the modern Olympic Games. In the 4 x 400 m relay, Alvin ran the first leg and Calvin ran the third leg. In 2008, the 2000 Sydney Olympics 4 x 400 metres relay US team was stripped of their medals after teammate Antonio Pettigrew admitted that he had used performance-enhancing drugs.[2]

Alvin Harrison did not advance out of the Semi Finals in the 2004 U.S. Nationals Olympic Team Trials and therefore, did not compete in the 2004 Olympics Games. After the Championships, Harrison was one of several high profile athletes named and at the center of the highly publicized "BALCO" Laboratory case involving Bay Are lab owner Victor Conte. Harrison admitted to using Balco lab products as he was sponsored and endorsed by the brands SNAC supplement product line. Controversy ensued when one of the products Victor Conte self titled "Clear" was said to be a steroid. This "Clear" however was not a substance named on any prohibited substance list(s). Harrison went back and forth to Federal Court and when asked to name and point out other athletes associates etc. Harrison stated, " I take full responsibility for my own actions"....many believe this outraged USADA, USATF, and USOC and this is what led to Harrison's 4 year suspension instead of a 2 year suspension for someone who has always tested clean. However, USADA admitted that the product called "Clear" was not on the list, but produced "Anabolic Effects".....This satisfied the clause in the drug policy that states .....-"And any related substances"....So due to the product having "Anabolic Effects", Alvin was suspended. Harrison agreed to a four-year suspension with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.[3] Harrison also authored the book Go to Your Destiny, which debuted on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2001. Alvin Harrison was featured in the United Way of America public service announcement "Performance" commercial. After his suspension expired in late 2008, Harrison enjoyed a late career renaissance via a transfer of allegiance to the Dominican Republic in 2008. He made the move following discussion with his wife and his track colleague Félix Sánchez, both of whom are Dominican.[4] He competed for his new country at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, running in the heats of the 400 m race. He made his second world appearance soon after and helped the Dominican 4×400-meter relay team to fourth place at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships.[5] Not only did Harrison run and compete for the Dominican Republic upon his return, Harrison also led the Federación Dominicana de Asociaciones de Atletismo (FDAA; Athletics Federation of the Dominican Republic) in the restructuring, reformation and implementation of the Dominican Republics first High Performance Olympic Development Program approved and welcomed by the Athletic Federation President Jose Rubio Ludwig. This new High Performance Olympic Development Program would benefit Luguelin Santos yielding the Dominican Republic the country's first ever Gold Medalist at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain. Luguelin Santos would go on to win the race in 44.85 seconds. In the same year, 2012, with continuous momentum Luguelin Santos dominated international competitors and surprised the world by becoming the country's youngest and world's youngest (18 year old) 400 metres silver medalist running 44.46 in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Leaving his impression on the Dominican Republic, Harrison was awarded with an Honorary Master's Degree in Exercise Science for his contributions and the successes thereof. Harrison has since retired from track and field and travels the country implementing High Performance Athletic Development Programs for various sports organizations and sports professionals including players in the N.F.L. and N.B.A..

Harrison has four children: (son) Shraee Harrison and three daughters; Shiyah Marie Harrison, Dejahna Harrison, and Anaia Harrison.

Personal bests

Event Time Date Venue
200 m 20.23 March 28, 1996 Fresno, California
400 m 44.09 June 19, 1996 Atlanta, Georgia

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
1996 1996 Summer Olympics Atlanta, United States 1st 4 × 400 m Relay
2000 2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 2nd 400 m

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Teammate Antonio Pettigrew later admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs and the International Olympic Committee disqualified the team.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Alvin Harrison". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  2. ^ CNN (2008-08-02). "Pollution, Internet, doping dominate Olympics lead-up". CNN.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-02. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/Antidoping/SanctionedAthletes/2004ResultsManagement_1162.pdf IAAF
  4. ^ Graham, Pat (2009-08-18). Alvin Harrison sprinting for Dominican Republic. USA Today. Retrieved on 2010-03-14.
  5. ^ Arcoleo, Laura (2010-03-14). EVENT REPORT – MEN's 4x400 Metres Relay Final. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-03-14.
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