American athlete
Quincy D. Watts (born June 19, 1970) is an
American former
athlete , and two time
gold medalist at the
1992 Summer Olympics .
Career
Born in
Detroit, Michigan , Quincy Watts attended the
University of Southern California (USC) where he excelled as a general athlete and a wide receiver on the college
football team. He took up track at
Sutter Middle School and later went to
Taft High School in
Woodland Hills, California , a neighborhood in Los Angeles. In 1987, he ran a 10.36s
100 m , which stands as the
Los Angeles city section record, and at the time was the second fastest in CIF history, behind only
Henry Thomas' 10.25 in 1985. That same year he repeated as the
200 meters Champion at the
CIF California State Championships in
Sacramento .
Watts began as a
short sprinter , specializing for
100 m and
200 m , but the USC coach
Jim Bush , convinced him to run
400 m , where he found his success.
[1]
In 1992, by far his most successful year, he won the
gold medal in the Olympic 400 m. He twice broke
Lee Evans'
Olympic record of 43.86, (set at altitude during the
1968 games in Mexico ), clocking 43.71 in his semi-final, before going on to record 43.50 in the final. He was a member of the 4 × 400 m
relay team, running the second leg in 43.10, which smashed the then-
world record in a time of 2:55.74.
At the
World Championships in 1991, Watts won a silver medal in 4x400 relay, which he turned to gold in the following championships in 1993 running the second leg on the team that took almost a second and a half off the then-
World Record he had been a part of the year before. That race time still stands as the World Record. In the 1993 Individual 400m Final, where Watts was expecting to challenge the time of his relay teammates
Michael Johnson and
Butch Reynolds , his custom built
Nike shoe disintegrated as he was coming off the final turn. Continuing to run, he still managed fourth place.
[2]
[3] Since this incident, poor Nike shoe quality has been referred to as "doing the Quincy Watts" in track circles. It has also affected Nike's concern for quality control.
[4]
In 1994 and 1995, he failed to break 45
seconds and in 1996 finished a disappointing seventh in the US Olympic trials in a time of 45.64. Overshadowed by Michael Johnson, he retired in 1997 and was hired as the head coach to Taft High School. After his tenure at Taft, he worked as an assistant track coach at
Harvard-Westlake School . Watts currently serves as an assistant coach for the Men's and Women's sprints teams at the University of Southern California. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, he also trains several professional athletes, including
Willie McGinest and
Curtis Conway . Notably, Conway was a high school competitor of Watts.
[5]
Watts currently holds the position of head coach at USC.
[6]
References
External links
Medley 4 × 400 m
1912 :
Mel Sheppard ,
Edward Lindberg ,
Ted Meredith ,
Charles Reidpath (
USA )
1920 :
Cecil Griffiths ,
Robert Lindsay ,
John Ainsworth-Davis ,
Guy Butler (
GBR )
1924 :
Commodore Cochran ,
Alan Helffrich ,
Oliver Macdonald ,
William Stevenson (
USA )
1928 :
George Baird ,
Emerson Spencer ,
Fred Alderman ,
Ray Barbuti (
USA )
1932 :
Ivan Fuqua ,
Ed Ablowich ,
Karl Warner ,
Bill Carr (
USA )
1936 :
Freddie Wolff ,
Godfrey Rampling ,
Bill Roberts ,
Godfrey Brown (
GBR )
1948 :
Arthur Harnden ,
Cliff Bourland ,
Roy Cochran ,
Mal Whitfield (
USA )
1952 :
Arthur Wint ,
Leslie Laing ,
Herb McKenley ,
George Rhoden (
JAM )
1956 :
Charles Jenkins Sr. ,
Lou Jones ,
Jesse Mashburn ,
Tom Courtney (
USA )
1960 :
Jack Yerman ,
Earl Young ,
Glenn Davis ,
Otis Davis (
USA )
1964 :
Ollan Cassell ,
Mike Larrabee ,
Ulis Williams ,
Henry Carr (
USA )
1968 :
Vincent Matthews ,
Ron Freeman ,
Larry James ,
Lee Evans (
USA )
1972 :
Charles Asati ,
Munyoro Nyamau ,
Robert Ouko ,
Julius Sang (
KEN )
1976 :
Herman Frazier ,
Benny Brown ,
Fred Newhouse ,
Maxie Parks (
USA )
1980 :
Remigijus Valiulis ,
Mikhail Linge ,
Nikolay Chernetskiy ,
Viktor Markin (
URS )
1984 :
Sunder Nix ,
Ray Armstead ,
Alonzo Babers ,
Antonio McKay (
USA )
1988 :
Danny Everett ,
Steve Lewis ,
Kevin Robinzine ,
Butch Reynolds ,
Antonio McKay ,
Andrew Valmon (
USA )
1992 :
Andrew Valmon ,
Quincy Watts ,
Michael Johnson ,
Steve Lewis ,
Darnell Hall ,
Charles Jenkins Jr. (
USA )
1996 :
LaMont Smith ,
Alvin Harrison ,
Derek Mills ,
Anthuan Maybank ,
Jason Rouser (
USA )
2000 :
Clement Chukwu ,
Jude Monye ,
Sunday Bada ,
Enefiok Udo-Obong ,
Nduka Awazie ,
Fidelis Gadzama (
NGR )
2004 :
Otis Harris ,
Derrick Brew ,
Jeremy Wariner ,
Darold Williamson ,
Andrew Rock ,
Kelly Willie (
USA )
2008 :
LaShawn Merritt ,
Angelo Taylor ,
David Neville ,
Jeremy Wariner ,
Kerron Clement ,
Reggie Witherspoon (
USA )
2012 :
Chris Brown ,
Demetrius Pinder ,
Michael Mathieu ,
Ramon Miller (
BAH )
2016 :
Arman Hall ,
Tony McQuay ,
Gil Roberts ,
LaShawn Merritt ,
Kyle Clemons ,
David Verburg (
USA )
2020 :
Michael Cherry ,
Michael Norman ,
Bryce Deadmon ,
Rai Benjamin ,
Trevor Stewart ,
Randolph Ross ,
Vernon Norwood (
USA )
1983 :
Sergey Lovachov ,
Aliaksandr Trashchyla ,
Nikolay Chernetskiy ,
Viktor Markin (URS)
1987 :
Danny Everett ,
Roddie Haley ,
Antonio McKay ,
Butch Reynolds ,
Michael Franks ,
Raymond Pierre (USA)
1991 :
Roger Black ,
Derek Redmond ,
John Regis ,
Kriss Akabusi ,
Ade Mafe ,
Mark Richardson (GBR)
1993 :
Andrew Valmon ,
Quincy Watts ,
Butch Reynolds ,
Michael Johnson ,
Antonio Pettigrew ,
Derek Mills (USA)
1995 :
Marlon Ramsey ,
Derek Mills ,
Butch Reynolds ,
Michael Johnson ,
Kevin Lyles ,
Darnell Hall (USA)
1997 :
Iwan Thomas ,
Roger Black ,
Jamie Baulch ,
Mark Richardson ,
Mark Hylton (GBR)
1999 :
Tomasz Czubak ,
Robert Maćkowiak ,
Jacek Bocian ,
Piotr Haczek ,
Piotr Długosielski (POL)
2001 :
Troy McIntosh ,
Avard Moncur ,
Carl Oliver ,
Timothy Munnings ,
Chris Brown (BAH)
2003 :
Ahmed Douhou ,
Naman Keïta ,
Stéphane Diagana ,
Marc Raquil ,
Leslie Djhone (FRA)
2005 :
Andrew Rock ,
Derrick Brew ,
Darold Williamson ,
Jeremy Wariner ,
Miles Smith ,
LaShawn Merritt (USA)
2007 :
LaShawn Merritt ,
Angelo Taylor ,
Darold Williamson ,
Jeremy Wariner ,
Bershawn Jackson ,
Kerron Clement (USA)
2009 :
Angelo Taylor ,
Jeremy Wariner ,
Kerron Clement ,
LaShawn Merritt ,
Lionel Larry ,
Bershawn Jackson (USA)
2011 :
Greg Nixon ,
Bershawn Jackson ,
Angelo Taylor ,
LaShawn Merritt ,
Jamaal Torrance ,
Michael Berry (USA)
2013 :
David Verburg ,
Tony McQuay ,
Arman Hall ,
LaShawn Merritt ,
James Harris ,
Joshua Mance (USA)
2015 :
David Verburg ,
Tony McQuay ,
Bryshon Nellum ,
LaShawn Merritt ,
Kyle Clemons ,
Vernon Norwood (USA)
2017 :
Jarrin Solomon ,
Jereem Richards ,
Machel Cedenio ,
Lalonde Gordon ,
Renny Quow (TRI)
2019 :
Fred Kerley ,
Michael Cherry ,
Wilbert London ,
Rai Benjamin ,
Tyrell Richard ,
Vernon Norwood ,
Nathan Strother (USA)
2022 :
Elija Godwin ,
Vernon Norwood ,
Bryce Deadmon ,
Trevor Bassitt ,
Champion Allison ,
Michael Norman (USA)
2023 :
Quincy Hall ,
Vernon Norwood ,
Justin Robinson ,
Rai Benjamin ,
Trevor Bassitt ,
Matthew Boling ,
Christopher Bailey (USA)
1986: Great Britain (
Henderson ,
Goedluck ,
Kirton ,
Ridgeon )
1988: United States (
Braunskill ,
Watts ,
Cason ,
Warren )
1990: United States (
Nelloms ,
Bridges ,
Harris ,
Stallworth )
1992: Great Britain (
Condon ,
Campbell ,
Baulch ,
Fergus )
1994: Great Britain (
Gardener ,
Golding ,
Mackie ,
Cameron )
1996: United States (
Williams ,
Davis ,
Moore ,
Armstrong )
1998: Jamaica (
Slowly ,
Thomas ,
Thompson ,
Bailey )
2000: Great Britain (
Edgar ,
Grant ,
Benjamin ,
Lewis-Francis )
2002: United States (
Collins ,
Felix ,
Williams ,
Willie Hordge )
2004: United States (
Kimmons ,
Omole ,
Williams ,
Merrit )
2006: Jamaica (
Barnes ,
Rose ,
Jervis ,
Blake )
2008: United States (
Sales ,
Sales ,
Goodwin ,
Wilks )
2010: United States (
Granger ,
Silmon ,
Harris ,
Bradwell )
2012: United States (
Hill ,
Bailey ,
Delaney ,
Ernest )
2014: United States (
Miller ,
Bromell ,
Williams ,
Friday )
2016: United States (
Norman ,
Montgomery ,
Taylor ,
Lyles )
2018: United States (
Harrison ,
Schwartz ,
Kratz ,
Williams )
2021: South Africa (
Xhotyen ,
Dambile ,
Moleyane ,
Richardson )
2022: Japan (
Ikeshita ,
Fujiwara ,
Tateno ,
Yanagita )
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