Félix Sánchez (hurdler)
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Medal record
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Félix Sánchez, (born August 30, 1977) is a retired
The Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium, Dominican Republic’s largest stadium, is named after him.
Sánchez retired in April 2016, citing the recent birth of his son.[2][3][4]
Early life and college
Sánchez was born in
Professional career
Sánchez opted to represent the Dominican Republic internationally, and made his debut for that nation in the Pan American games in 1999.[8] Between 2001 and 2004 he won 43 races in a row[8] at 400 m hurdles, including the 2001 and 2003 World Championships. He won a share of the Golden League million dollar-jackpot in 2002 after winning all 7 races.[9]
At the
During his 43-race[8] winning streak, from 2001 to 2004, Sánchez was known for wearing a wristband while competing. The red flashing wristband, a souvenir from the 2000 Olympics, served as a motivation for him after failing to advance to the final in Sydney. After winning the Olympic gold medal in Athens 2004, Sánchez gave the wristband to the IAAF for auction and the profits were donated to charity.[8] In his first race after the Olympics – and his first race without the wristband – at the Van Damme Memorial meet in Brussels, Sánchez injured his leg and had to abandon the race halfway through.[13][14]
In 2012, at the age of 34, Sánchez entered the 2012 Summer Olympics. He posted the fastest qualifying time, and won the final with a time of 47.63 seconds,[15] the same as his winning time in Athens in 2004 and his fastest run for eight years.[16] Sánchez became the oldest man to win the Olympic 400m hurdles title.[16] He was the only Olympic medalist for the Dominican Republic until 45 minutes after his second gold medal, when Luguelín Santos picked up a silver medal in the 400 metres. For his performance in London Sanchez was awarded the Laureus World Comeback of the Year.[17]
Sánchez announced his retirement in April 2016 at the age of 38, citing the recent birth of a son.[2][3][4] He did not compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Competition record
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Pan American Games | Winnipeg, Canada
|
4th | 400 m hurdles | 48.60 |
| 6th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.19 | |||
| World Championships | Seville, Spain
|
23rd (h) | 400 m hurdles | 49.67 | |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia
|
20th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 49.69 |
| 2001 | World Indoor Championships | Lisbon, Portugal
|
8th (sf) | 400 m | 47.29 |
| World Championships | Edmonton, Canada
|
1st | 400 m hurdles | 47.49 | |
| Goodwill Games | Brisbane, Australia
|
1st | 400 m hurdles | 48.47 | |
| 2002 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Salvador, El Salvador | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.15 |
| 2003 | Pan American Games | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
|
1st | 400 m hurdles | 48.19 |
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.02 | |||
| World Championships | Paris, France
|
1st | 400 m hurdles | 47.25 | |
| – | 4 × 400 m relay | DQ | |||
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece
|
1st | 400 m hurdles | 47.63 |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland
|
8th | 400 m hurdles | DNF |
| 2006 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Cartagena, Colombia | 4th | 400 m hurdles | 50.45
|
| 3rd | 4 × 400 metres relay | 3:03.25
| |||
| 2007 | Pan American Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
|
4th | 400 m hurdles | 49.28 |
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.48
| |||
| World Championships | Osaka, Japan
|
2nd | 400 m hurdles | 48.01 | |
| 7th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:03.56 | |||
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China
|
22nd (h) | 400 m hurdles | 51.10 |
| 2009 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Havana, Cuba
|
2nd | 400 m hurdles | 48.85 |
| World Championships | Berlin, Germany
|
8th | 400 m hurdles | 50.11 | |
| 6th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.47 | |||
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar
|
3rd (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.30 (iNR) |
| Central American and Caribbean Games | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | 4th | 400 m hurdles | 50.08 | |
| 2011 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | 2nd | 400 m hurdles | 49.41 |
| World Championships | Daegu, South Korea
|
4th | 400 m hurdles | 48.87 | |
| Pan American Games | Guadalajara, Mexico
|
3rd | 400 m hurdles | 48.85 | |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom
|
1st | 400 m hurdles | 47.63 |
| – | 4 × 400m relay | DQ | |||
| 2013 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Morelia, Mexico
|
3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.82 |
| World Championships | Moscow, Russia
|
5th | 400 m hurdles | 48.22 | |
| 2015 | NACAC Championships | San José, Costa Rica | 5th | 400m hurdles | 50.23 |
References
- ^ "California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office > Newsroom > Notable Alumni > FelixSanchez". Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Double Olympic champion Felix Sanchez retires | NEWS | World Athletics".
- ^ a b "'Super Sanchez' announces retirement".
- ^ a b "Olympic champion Felix Sanchez retires at 38".
- ^ Felix Sanchez Archived July 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Sports Reference. Retrieved on June 30, 2012.
- ^ a b "Player Bio: Felix Sanchez :: Men's Outdoor Track". Archived from the original on May 26, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
- ^ "California State Meet Results - 1915 to present". Hank Lawson. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Felix Sanchez". www.london2012.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- ^ How does it feel to win $1m?. Spikes. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
- ^ Felix Sanchez wins first gold medal for Dominican Republic. Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved on July 11, 2009. Archived October 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Gonzalez, David (2003-08-08). Games Lift Spirits in Santo Domingo. The New York Times. Retrieved on July 11, 2009.
- ^ Felix Sanchez coming home to NYC for Reebok Grand Prix. Cool Running. Retrieved on July 11, 2009. Archived August 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Felix Sanchez donates flashing wristband to the IAAF. Retrieved on September 27, 2011. Archived December 12, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Leg injury sees Sanchez's three-year win streak end. Retrieved on September 27, 2011.
- ^ "'Superman' Sanchez regains Olympic 400m hurdles title". The Times Of India. Archived from the original on August 10, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ a b "London 2012 Olympics: James secures 400m crown as Greene misses hurdles medal". www.athleticsweekly.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
- ^ Laureus World Sports Awards 2013: The Winners | Laureus
External links
- Félix Sánchez at World Athletics
- 2004 interview and profile in Open Your Eyes magazine
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