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Gail Devers
Track and Field

Gail

Devers

Olympian 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004

  • 3

    GOLD

  • 0

    SILVER

  • 0

    BRONZE

Athlete Bio#

Gail Devers

Age

58

Hometown

National City, CA

Education

Sweetwater Union High School (Chula Vista, Calif.) UCLA

Quick Facts
  • Daughter of Alabe and Larry Devers
  • Graduated from Sweetwater Union High School
  • High school football stadium was later renamed in her honor
  • Won the NCAA championship in the 100-meter in 1988 while attending UCLA
  • Diagnosed with Graves’ disease in 1990, a thyroid disorder treated with radiation therapy
  • Claimed the gold medal in the 100 at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 just 19 months after the diagnosis of thyroid condition
  • Won 21 international races and three championships in 1993, and was named the U.S. Female Athlete of the Year by the USOC
  • Her last competitive event was at the 2007 Millrose Games in New York, where she won the 60 hurdles at age 40
  • Accomplished motivational speaker and speed coach for professional athletes
  • Mother to two children.
Olympic Experience
  • 5-time Olympian; 3-time Olympic medalist (3 gold)
    • Olympic Games Athens 2004, (100m Hurdles - Women), 12th (100m - Women)
    • Olympic Games Sydney 2000, 9th (100m Hurdles - Women)
    • Olympic Games Atlanta 1996, gold (100m - Women, 4 x 100m Relay - Women), 4th (100m Hurdles - Women)
    • Olympic Games Barcelona 1992, gold (100m - Women), 5th (100m Hurdles - Women)
    • Olympic Games Seoul 1988, 14th (100m Hurdles - Women)
World Championships Experience
  • Most recent: 2004 – gold (60m (Indoor) - Women), silver (60m Hurdles (Indoor) - Women)
  • Years of participation: 60m (Indoor) - Women 1993, 1997, 1999, 2004; 60m Hurdles (Indoor) - Women 2004; 100m - Women 1993, 1999, 2003; 100m Hurdles - Women 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003; 4 x 100m Relay - Women 1993, 1997, 1999
  • Medals: 12 (8 gold, 4 silver)
    • Gold – 2004 (60m (Indoor) - Women); 1999 (100m Hurdles - Women); 1997 (4 x 100m Relay - Women, 60m (Indoor) - Women); 1995 (100m Hurdles - Women); 1993 (100m - Women, 100m Hurdles - Women, 60m (Indoor) - Women)
    • Silver – 2004 (60m Hurdles (Indoor) - Women); 2001 (100m Hurdles - Women); 1999 (60m (Indoor) - Women); 1993 (4 x 100m Relay - Women)

Athlete News#

Hall Of Fame Bio #

Gail Devers is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time Olympian. Her 100-meter victory in 1996 made her the second woman to successfully defend the Olympic title. Born in Seattle, Devers won five outdoor championships throughout her career and four gold medals at the IAAF world indoor championships. Devers won her first Olympic 100 title by 0.06 seconds at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992. She later won the 100 at the 1993 World Championship. At the Atlanta 1996 Games, Devers defended her 100 title, becoming the first woman since Wyomia Tyus to do so. Devers was elected to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2011 and was awarded the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award in 2013, an award presented to six distinguished former college student-athletes on the 25th anniversary of their college sports careers.

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