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Harry "Butch" Reynolds (born June 8, 1964 in Columbus, Ohio) is a former 400 metres sprinter, representing the United States. On August 17 1988 he set a 400 metres world record with 43.29 seconds, smashing Lee Evans' 20 year old world record by an amazing 0.57 seconds. The record was finally broken by Michael Johnson (43.18) in 1999.
He won a silver medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics on the 400 metres and a gold medal on the 4 x 400 m relay. In the IAAF World Championships in Athletics he won a bronze medal in 1987, and silver medals in 1993 and 1995. He also won gold medals on the 4 x 400 metre relays in 1987, 1993 and 1995.
In the 1996 American Olympic trials he was second, only beaten by Michael Johnson. But in the 1996 Summer Olympics semifinal he suffered a hamstring injury, failed to qualify for the final, and also had to withdraw from the relay team.
He retired after the 1999 season.
Drug suspension and legal fight
Butch Reynolds was suspended for two years by the IAAF for illegal drug use in 1990. This was the start of a long legal fight. In 1992 the US Supreme Court ordered the United States Olympic Committee to allow him to participate in the American Olympic trials. This was a violation of the laws of International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which clearly prohibited suspended athletes from competing. In fact, according to the IAAF laws, any athlete that competed against Butch Reynolds should also be suspended. The American Olympic trial 400 metres heats were postponed for four days, but the IAAF finally backed down. Reynolds finished 5th in the trials, and qualified for a place as a substitute on the American 4 x 400 metres relay team. However, the IAAF banned him from starting in the 1992 Olympics.
Trivia
Butch Reynolds has the two fastest non-winning 400 metres races in the world.
- The fastest non-winning 400 metres race was when he came second behind Michael Johnson in the American olympic trials in Atlanta in 1996. Reynolds' time was 43.91.
- The second fastest non-winning 400 metres race was when he won the silver medal behind Steve Lewis in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Reynolds' time was 43.93.
- The third fastest non-wining time was back in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, when Larry James won the silver medal behind Lee Evans. Larry James' time was 43.97.
1964 births | Living people | Ohio State University alumni | Ohio State Buckeyes athletics | People from Ohio | African American sportspeople | American sprinters | American track and field athletes | Athletes at the 1988 Summer Olympics | Athletes at the 1996 Summer Olympics | Doping cases in athletics | Olympic competitors for the United States | Olympic gold medalists | Olympic silver medalists | Akronites
"Butch Reynolds"