Leroy Burrell

Leroy Burrell
Burrell in 2019
Personal information
Full nameLeroy Russel Burrell
Born (1967-02-21) February 21, 1967 (age 57)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight180 lb (82 kg)
Sport
SportTrack and field
Event(s)Sprints and long jump
College teamHouston Cougars (1985-1990)
ClubSanta Monica Track Club
Coached byTom Tellez[1]
Retired1998[2]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • 60 m: 6.48 s (1991)
  • 100 m: 9.85 s (1994)
  • 200 m: 20.12 s (1992)
  • Long jump: 8.37 m (1989)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona 4×100 m relay
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1991 Tokyo 4×100 m relay
Gold medal – first place 1993 Stuttgart 4×100 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1991 Tokyo 100 m
Goodwill Games
Gold medal – first place 1990 Seattle 100 m
Silver medal – second place 1994 St. Petersburg 100 m
World Cup
Silver medal – second place 1989 Barcelona 100 m

Leroy Russel Burrell (born February 21, 1967)[3] is an American former track and field athlete, who twice set the world record for the 100 m sprint.[3]

Early life

Burrell grew up in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and attended Penn Wood High School, where he single-handedly won the state championship by winning the 100 m, 200 m, long jump, and triple jump. Suffering from poor eyesight accentuated by a childhood eye injury, he was poor at other sports, but excelled on the track from an early age. He attended the University of Houston from 1986 to 1990, where he was a nine-time NCAA All-American and set the NCAA outdoor record in the long jump.[4][5]

Professional career

Burrell was plagued by injuries and bad luck throughout his career, particularly around major championships. He won gold in the 100 m ahead of Carl Lewis at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle. He won the silver in the 100 m behind Lewis at the 1991 World Championships. At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Burrell false-started in the 100 m final. When the race finally restarted, his reaction off the line was slow, and he finished fifth. He did manage to win a relay gold as part of the U.S. 4 × 100 m team.[citation needed]

On May 19, 1990, Burrell ran a wind-assisted 200 m at College Station, Texas, in a time of 19.61 seconds. The wind speed was +4.0 m per second. This was the fastest time for the 200 m for over six years until the 1996 Olympic final in Atlanta, where Michael Johnson ran 19.32 seconds.

He first set the 100m world record in June 1991 with a time of 9.90 seconds. This was broken that September by Carl Lewis who ran 9.86 sec at the 1991 World Track and Field Championships where Burrell finished second in a new personal best time of 9.88 sec. In July 1994, Burrell set the world record for the second time when he ran 9.85 sec (a record that stood until the 1996 Olympics when Donovan Bailey ran 9.84 sec).[citation needed]

Since his retirement in 1998, Burrell has replaced his old college mentor, Tom Tellez, as coach of the University of Houston's track and field team. Burrell has led UH to 14 men's Conference USA titles (nine indoor, five outdoor) and nine women's titles (four indoor, five outdoor). He was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014.[6]

In June 2022, Burrell stepped down as head coach at Houston and accepted the head coaching position for Auburn track and field.[7]

Personal life

Burrell married Michelle Finn, also a sprinter, in 1994, and they have three sons together: Cameron who was a sprinter for the Houston Cougars and died in 2021,[8][9] Joshua, and Jaden. On June 7, 2017, Cameron joined his father in the sub-10 second club. Burrell's younger sister Dawn also competed in track and field at the highest level, as a member of the 2000 US Olympic team and world indoor champion in the long jump.[10]

Statistics

Information from IAAF profile unless otherwise noted.[11]

World records

Includes former all-conditions world best in the 200 meters. All world records are former as of May 24, 2014.

Event Time (s) Competition Venue Date Notes
60 m 6.48 Madrid indoor meet Madrid, Spain February 13, 1991 [note 1] [12][13]
100 m 9.90 U.S. Championships New York, New York, U.S. June 14, 1991 +1.8 m/s wind [note 2] [1][15][16]
9.85 Athletissima Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland July 6, 1994 +1.2 m/s wind [note 3] [17][18]
200 m 19.61 SWC Championships College Station, Texas, U.S. May 19, 1990 +4.1 m/s wind, w[note 4] [19]
4 × 100 m relay 37.79 Herculis Monaco Monaco August 3, 1991 [note 5] [20]
37.67 Weltklasse Zürich Zürich, Switzerland August 7, 1991 [note 6] [21]
37.50 World Championships Tokyo, Japan September 1, 1991 Former CR[note 7] [22]
37.40 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain August 8, 1992 Former OR[note 8] [23][24]
37.40 World Championships Stuttgart, Germany August 21, 1993 Former CR[note 9] [25][26]
4 × 200 m relay 1:19.38 Koblenz meet Koblenz, Germany August 23, 1989 [note 10] [27]
1:19.11 Penn Relays Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. April 23, 1992 [note 11] [28][29]
1:18.68 Mt. SAC Relays Walnut, California, U.S. April 17, 1994 [note 12] [30]

Personal bests

Sprints

Event Time (s) Wind (m/s) Competition Venue Date Notes
55 m 6.09 n/a Houston indoor meet Houston, Texas, U.S. January 28, 1991
60 m 6.48 n/a Madrid indoor meet Madrid, Spain February 13, 1991 Former WR[note 1] [12][13]
100 m 9.85 +1.2 Athletissima Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland July 6, 1994 Former WR[note 3] [17][18]
200 m 20.12 −0.8 U.S. Olympic Trials New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. June 27, 1992
19.61 +4.1 SWC Championships College Station, Texas, U.S. May 19, 1990 w[note 4] [19]
4 × 100 m relay 37.40 n/a Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain August 8, 1992 Former WR, OR[note 8] [23][24]
World Championships Stuttgart, Germany August 21, 1993 Former WR, CR[note 9] [25][26]
4 × 200 m relay 1:18.68 n/a Mt. SAC Relays Walnut, California, U.S. April 17, 1994 Former WR[note 12] [30]

Jumps

Event Mark (m) Wind (m/s) Competition Venue Date Notes
Long jump 8.37 +0.4 NCAA Division I Championships Provo, Utah, U.S. June 2, 1989
Long jump indoor 8.23 n/a NCAA Division I Indoor Championships Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. March 9, 1990

International championship results

Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Wind (m/s) Notes
Representing the  United States
1989 World Cup Barcelona, Spain 2nd 100 m 10.15 +0.5
1990 Goodwill Games Seattle, Washington, U.S. 1st 100 m 10.05 +1.1
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 2nd 100 m 9.88 +1.2 PB
6th (qf 4) 200 m 21.21 −0.7
1st 4 × 100 m relay 37.50 n/a WR, CR[note 7] [22]
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 5th 100 m 10.10 +0.5
1st 4 × 100 m relay 37.40 n/a WR, OR[note 8] [23][24]
1993 World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 1st 4 × 100 m relay 37.40 n/a WR, CR[note 9] [25][26]
1994 Goodwill Games St. Petersburg, Russia 2nd 100 m 10.11 −1.9

National championship results

Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Wind (m/s) Notes
Representing the Houston Cougars and Santa Monica Track Club
1988 NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon, U.S. 7th Long jump n/a +4.1 8.06 m, w
5th 100 m 10.31 +0.4
U.S. Olympic Trials Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. 6th (semi 2) 100 m 10.10 +4.9 w
1989 U.S. Indoor Championships New York, New York, U.S. 1st 55 m 6.15 n/a
NCAA Division I Indoor Championships Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. 1st Long jump n/a n/a 8.09 m
2nd 55 m 6.11 n/a
NCAA Division I Championships Provo, Utah, U.S. 2nd Long jump n/a +0.4 8.37 m, PB
5th 100 m 10.19 +2.4 w
U.S. Championships Houston, Texas, U.S. 1st 100 m 9.94 +0.8 WL, PB
1990 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. 1st Long jump n/a n/a 8.23 m
NCAA Division I Championships Durham, North Carolina, U.S. 1st 100 m 9.94 +2.4 w
U.S. Championships Norwalk, California, U.S. 4th Long jump n/a +4.1 8.06 m, w
1991 U.S. Championships New York, New York, U.S. 1st 100 m 9.90 +1.9 WR [1][15][16]
2nd 200 m 20.42 −2.0
1992 U.S. Indoor Championships New York, New York, U.S. 1st 60 m 6.55 n/a
U.S. Olympic Trials New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. 3rd 100 m 10.10 −0.7
5th 200 m 20.16 +1.0
1993 U.S. Championships Eugene, Oregon, U.S. 5th 100 m 10.15 +4.8 w
4th 200 m 20.35 +2.5 w
1995 U.S. Championships Sacramento, California, U.S. 5th 100 m 10.31 −1.2
1996 U.S. Indoor Championships Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. 4th 60 m 6.60 n/a [33]
U.S. Olympic Trials Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. 6th 100 m 10.07 +1.1 [33]
1997 U.S. Championships Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. 6th 100 m 10.09 +0.2

Circuit wins

Overall

100 meters

Track records

As of 22 September 2024, Burrell holds the following track records for 100 metres and 200 metres.

A performance in red text was wind-assisted.

100 metres

Location Time Windspeed
m/s 		Date Notes
Blaine, MN. 10.02 + 3.3 23/06/1990
Durham, NC. 9.94 + 2.2 02/06/1990 Track record shared with
Dennis Mitchell (USA) from 13/08/1994.
Houston, TX. 9.94 + 0.8 16/06/1989
Seattle, WA. 10.05 + 1.1 23/07/1990

200 metres

Location Time Windspeed
m/s 		Date Notes
College Station, TX. 19.61 + 4.0 19/05/1990 Until the 1996 Olympic final held on 01/08/1996, this was the fastest time ever clocked for 200 metres with a curve.

Notes

  1. ^ a b American Andre Cason broke Leroy Burrell's 6.48 s world record in the 60 m a year later with a time of 6.45 s.[31]
  2. ^ American Carl Lewis broke Leroy Burrell's 9.90 s world record in the 100 m two months later at the 1991 World Championships with a time of 9.86 s.[14]
  3. ^ a b Canadian Donovan Bailey broke Leroy Burrel's 9.85 s world record in the 100 m two years later at the 1996 Summer Olympics with a time of 9.84 s.[32]
  4. ^ a b Though the race was wind-assisted and therefore ineligible for the official IAAF world record, at the time it was the fastest anyone had ever run the 200 m in any conditions.[19]
  5. ^ Shared with Americans Michael Marsh, Floyd Heard, and Carl Lewis for the Santa Monica Track Club.[20]
  6. ^ Shared with Americans Michael Marsh, Dennis Mitchell, and Carl Lewis for the U.S.[21]
  7. ^ a b Shared with Americans Andre Cason, Dennis Mitchell, and Carl Lewis for the U.S.[22]
  8. ^ a b c Shared with Americans Michael Marsh, Dennis Mitchell, and Carl Lewis for the U.S.[23][24]
  9. ^ a b c Shared with Americans Jon Drummond, Andre Cason, and Dennis Mitchell for the U.S.[25][26]
  10. ^ Shared with Americans Danny Everett, Floyd Heard, and Carl Lewis for the Santa Monica Track Club.[27]
  11. ^ Shared with Americans Michael Marsh, Floyd Heard, and Carl Lewis for the Santa Monica Track Club.[28][29]
  12. ^ a b Shared with Americans Michael Marsh, Floyd Heard, and Carl Lewis for the Santa Monica Track Club.[30]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Burrell Makes His Mark In The 100 -- Sprinter Edges Training Partner Lewis In 9.90 For World Record". seattletimes.com. Seattle Times. June 15, 1991. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  2. ^ "Leroy Burrell". uhcougars.com. Houston Cougars. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "USA Track & Field | Leroy Burrell". usatf.org. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  4. ^ "Leroy Burrell". Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  5. ^ Hersh, Phil (22 August 1991). "Burrell Makes Quest for Best". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Txtfhalloffame". Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2017-01-15.
  7. ^ Duarte, Joseph (16 June 2022). "Seeking clean slate after family tragedy, Houston track coach Leroy Burrell leaving for Auburn". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  8. ^ Jeré Longman (May 23, 2013). "In His Parents' Very Fast Footsteps". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  9. ^ "Former NCAA track champion, Carl Lewis' godson Cameron Burrell dies at 26". 11 August 2021.
  10. ^ Burrell strikes gold. BBC Sport (2001-03-10). Retrieved on 2011-01-05.
  11. ^ "Leroy BURRELL | Profile". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  12. ^ a b "BURRELL BEATS WORLD MARK IN 60-METER DASH-TWICE". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. February 14, 1991. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  13. ^ a b Juan José Fernández (February 15, 1991). "El récord anulado a Burrell, una discusión de centésimas". El País. Retrieved April 26, 2019. {{cite news}}: More than one of |website= and |newspaper= specified (help)
  14. ^ Kenny Moore (September 2, 1991). "THE GREAT RACE". si.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  15. ^ a b Wayne Coffey (June 15, 1991). "BURRELL NEW KING OF 100 METERS". orlandosentinel.com. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  16. ^ a b Merrell Noden (July 1, 1991). "SUPER POWER". si.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  17. ^ a b The Associated Press (July 7, 1994). "Burrell Eclipses 100-Meter Mark : Track and Field: Time of 9.85 seconds at Swiss meet surpasses Carl Lewis' record of 9.86". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Frank Litsky (July 7, 1994). "TRACK AND FIELD; Leroy Burrell Breaks Mark For 100 Meters". The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  19. ^ a b c "Burrell Rides Wind to 19.61 in 200". Los Angeles Times. May 20, 1990. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  20. ^ a b "Santa Monica team ties world 400 relay..." The Baltimore Sun. August 4, 1991. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  21. ^ a b "U.S. REGAINS 400 RELAY RECORD". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. August 8, 1991. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  22. ^ a b c Enrico Jacomini (September 2, 1991). "U.S. SETS WORLD RECORD IN THE 4X100-METER RELAY". Deseret News. Retrieved April 28, 2019.[dead link]
  23. ^ a b c d Julie Cart (August 9, 1992). "BARCELONA '92 OLYMPICS / Day 15 : Now, Their Silence is Golden : Track: U.S. sprinters, earlier outspoken and feuding, set world records in men's 400 and 1,600 relays. Women place first in 400 and second in 1,600". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  24. ^ a b c d Bill Glauber (August 9, 1992). "Anchoring his place in history Lewis leads 400 team to gold, world record". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  25. ^ a b c d Frank Litsky (August 22, 1993). "TRACK & FIELD; U.S. Men Equal World Record in 400-Meter Relay". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  26. ^ a b c d Bert Rosenthal (August 22, 1993). "U.S. RELAY TEAM SHOWS IT DOESN'T NEED CARL LEWIS". Deseret News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  27. ^ a b "Lewis Anchors 800-Meter Relay Record". Los Angeles Times. August 23, 1989. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  28. ^ a b Paul McMullen (April 26, 1992). "Lewis' anchor leg clinches world record in 4x200 at Penn Relays Mark set despite faulty transfer". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  29. ^ a b Frank Litsky (April 26, 1992). "TRACK AND FIELD; A World Mark in 800-Meter Relay". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  30. ^ a b c Randy Harvey (April 18, 1994). "Lewis and Friends Smash 800-Meter Relay World Record". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  31. ^ "U.S. SPRINTER BREAKS WORLD MARK". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. January 30, 1992. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  32. ^ Tim Huebsch (July 29, 2016). "Remembering Canada's greatest Olympic moments: Donovan Bailey wins 100m gold". runningmagazine.ca. Canadian Running Magazine. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  33. ^ a b "1996 Olympic Team Trials - Men's Results". usatf.org. USATF. June 23, 1996. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  34. ^ a b c "Burrell Beats Lewis Again in 100-Meter Dash". Los Angeles Times. September 8, 1990. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
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