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Angelo Taylor
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Angelo F. Taylor (born December 29, 1978) is an American track and field athlete, winner of 400-meter hurdles at the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics. His personal record for the hurdles event is 47.25 seconds. His time puts him in a tie with Félix Sánchez for the #14 performer of all time. Sánchez also won two Olympic gold medals, in 2004 between Taylor's two golds and 2012, immediately following. Taylor also has a 400-meter dash best of 44.05 seconds, ranking him as the joint 29th performer of all time. He won the bronze medal in the 400 m at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics.
Key Information
He is a three-time world champion in the 4 × 400 m relay with the United States (2007, 2009 and 2011), and was also a relay gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympics.
Since 2019, Taylor has been serving a ban from the United States Center for SafeSport for his 2006 criminal convictions involving minors.
Career
[edit]Early life
[edit]Born in Albany, Georgia, Angelo Taylor studied at the Georgia Institute of Technology and won the NCAA title in 1998 and placed second in 1997. In 1998, Taylor also won a silver medal at the US National Championships. He went on to win the title three times from 1999 to 2001.
Taylor made his debut in a major international meet at the 1999 World Championships, where he finished third in his heat in 400 m hurdles, but ran a third leg at the gold medal-winning US 4 × 400 m relay team.
2000 Olympic champion
[edit]In 2000, Taylor ran a world-leading time at the Olympic Trials and entered the Sydney Games as a favorite. In a thrilling final, Taylor moved from fourth place to first over the final two hurdles and barely edged Saudi Arabia's Hadi Souan Somayli by 0.03 seconds in the closest finish in the history of the event. Taylor ran in the heat and semifinal of 4 × 400 m relay race, the finals team for which won the gold medal. On August 2, 2008, the International Olympic Committee stripped the gold medal from the U.S. men's 4x400-meter relay team, after Antonio Pettigrew admitted using a banned substance.[1] Three of the four runners in the event final, including Pettigrew and twins Alvin and Calvin Harrison, and preliminary round runner Jerome Young, all have admitted or tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.[1] Only Taylor and world record holder Michael Johnson were not implicated.[1]
Taylor was eliminated in the semifinals of the 2001 World Championships in 400 m hurdles while struggling with a sinus infection and flu, but won a gold as a member of US 4 × 400 m relay team. He didn't make the US World Championships team in 2003 and was unsuccessful in defending his Olympic title at the 2004 Summer Olympics, finishing fourth in the semifinal.
Second Olympic title
[edit]In 2007 Taylor set a new personal best in the 400 m and won the American title in the event. He won the 400 m bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka and won another gold medal as part of the USA 4 × 400 m relay team.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Taylor became a double Olympic champion, winning gold in the 400 metre hurdles and the 4 × 400 m relay. At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics he failed to make it out of the heats of the hurdles, but was part of the American 4 × 400 m relay team which successfully defended its world title.
Taylor finished second in the 200 m at the 2010 Rieti IAAF Grand Prix in August with a new personal record time of 20.23 seconds.[2] He fell behind Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson in the hurdles rankings that year, but in the 2010 IAAF Diamond League he managed top three finishes in Lausanne, Monaco and Stockholm. He had a season's best of 47.79 seconds for the event that year. He also had two podium finishes in the 400 m, coming second at the Golden Gala and third in a season's best of 44.72 seconds at the Weltklasse Zurich.[3]
He came third in the 400 m hurdles at the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a season's best run of 47.94 seconds, gaining a place on the national team. He won at the Herculis meeting in July, but did not peak for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, where he finished seventh in the final.[4] He performed well in the relay, however, taking the United States to victory in a time of 2:59.31 minutes alongside Greg Nixon, Bershawn Jackson and LaShawn Merritt.
Taylor began his 2012 season with a runner-up finish at the Mt. SAC Relays. He was third over 400 m at the Doha 2012 Diamond League meet and won the first 400 m hurdles race in Shanghai.[5]
2012 London Summer Olympics
[edit]Taylor was captain of the USA men's track Olympic squad in his fourth Olympics. The two-time 400 m hurdles gold medalist finished fifth in the event in a time of 48.25.[6] In the 4 × 400 × m relay finals, Taylor ran the anchor leg and was given the lead but was chased down by the Bahamas, so the USA team won the silver medal.
Statistics
[edit]Personal bests
[edit]| Event | Best | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres | 10.58 | Athens, GA | 19 April 2008 |
| 200 metres | 20.23 | Rieti, Italy | 29 August 2010 |
| 300 metres | 32.67 | Liège, Belgium | 27 August 2002 |
| 400 metres | 44.05 | Indianapolis, IN | 23 June 2007 |
| 400 metres hurdles | 47.25 | Beijing, China | 18 August 2008 |
Personal life
[edit]Taylor currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with wife Lynnita and is father to twin boys Xzaviah and Isaiah. His father, Angelo Taylor Sr., was also involved in sports and he competed in football and track at Albany State University. His family spent time living in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s as he was training and setting his sights on the Olympics.
SafeSport suspension
[edit]On May 16, 2019, the Orange County Register published an exposé of the failure of the United States Center for SafeSport to suspend Taylor after receiving notification of his 2006 criminal convictions, for contributing to the delinquency of two 15-year old girls, as required by the United States Center for SafeSport code.[7][8] USA Track & Field issued a "provisional suspension" for Taylor later that day.[9] He was placed on USATF's list of suspended individuals, where as of February 2025 he still remained.[10] SafeSport officially noted Taylor's violation that same day, and declared him ineligible,[11] with the announced reason being "Criminal Disposition – involving minor".[10]
See also
[edit]- Alberto Salazar, track and field athlete and coach, banned for life by the United States Center for SafeSport for sexual misconduct
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Teammate Antonio Pettigrew later admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs and the IAAF disqualified the team.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Wilson, Stephen (August 2, 2008). "IOC strips gold from 2000 US relay team". Associated Press.
- ^ Sampaolo, Diego (2010-08-29). Rudisha lowers 800 m World record again, 1:41.01; Carter dashes 9.78sec in Rieti – IAAF World Challenge. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-08-30.
- ^ Angelo Taylor. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 2012-05-20.
- ^ Angelo Taylor at World Athletics
- ^ Johnson, Len (2012-05-19). Liu Xiang and G. Dibaba the standouts in rainy Shanghai – Samsung Diamond League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-05-20.
- ^ "Taylor Finishes Fifth In 400-meter Hurdle Olympic Finals". ramblinwreck.com. August 6, 2012.
- ^ "Olympic champ Angelo Taylor continues to coach despite guilty plea in Georgia case". May 16, 2019.
- ^ Bigg, Matthew (June 10, 2008). "Angelo Taylor strives for comeback". Reuters. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
- ^ "USATF suspends two-time Olympic champion Angelo Taylor". May 16, 2019.
- ^ a b "USA Track & Field | Disciplinary Records". USATF.
- ^ Mike Rowbottom (May 22, 2019). "Double Olympic 400m hurdles champion Angelo Taylor suspended from coaching for past sexual misconduct charges". Inside the Games.
External links
[edit]- Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived September 1, 2008)
- Angelo Taylor at World Athletics
- Angelo Taylor at legacy.USATF.org (archived)
- Angelo Taylor at Team USA (archive March 18, 2023)
- Angelo Taylor at Olympics.com
- Angelo Taylor at Olympedia
Angelo Taylor
View on GrokipediaEarly Life
Upbringing and Introduction to Athletics
Angelo Taylor was born on December 29, 1978, in Albany, Georgia, but spent his formative years in the Atlanta metropolitan area, residing within 10 miles of downtown Atlanta throughout his life. Raised in Decatur, a suburb emphasizing community ties and local sports opportunities, Taylor grew up in an environment conducive to athletic development. His father, Angelo Taylor Sr., had competed in football and track at Albany State University, providing a familial connection to sports, though specific influences on Taylor's running pursuits remain undocumented in primary accounts.[7][8] Taylor's entry into track and field began during his high school years at Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Georgia, where he participated in a wide array of events starting as a teenager. He competed in distances from the 100 meters to two miles, as well as long jump, high jump, and triple jump, demonstrating versatility and natural speed. By age 15, in 1994, Taylor won his first national title at the USATF Junior Olympics in the 15-16 boys' 400-meter hurdles, signaling early recognition as a hurdling prospect after experimenting with various disciplines. This period marked his transition to structured training, highlighting his innate talent in sprints and barriers before specializing further post-graduation in 1996.[9][7][10]Athletic Career
Collegiate and Pre-Olympic Successes
Taylor attended the Georgia Institute of Technology starting in 1996, where he trained under head coach Grover Hinsdale alongside 1996 Olympic gold medalist Derrick Adkins and fellow hurdler Octavius Terry.[7] Hinsdale emphasized technical refinement in the 400-meter hurdles, including a key adjustment in 1997 when Taylor switched his lead leg from right to left, enabling quicker mastery of the first hurdle approach through targeted step pattern drills.[7] This shift contributed to his rapid progress in speed endurance and hurdle clearance efficiency, leveraging his natural stride for smoother transitions between barriers.[7] In his sophomore year, Taylor placed second in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1997 NCAA Outdoor Championships, setting a personal best of 48.72 seconds.[7] He improved markedly the following season, winning the 1998 NCAA title in the event while also anchoring Georgia Tech to victory in the 4x400-meter relay.[11][7] These performances established him as a four-time All-American and highlighted his growing dominance in collegiate hurdles.[12] Taylor's transition to elite competition yielded consistent results at the U.S. national level. He finished second at the 1998 USA Outdoor Championships with a time of 47.90 seconds, marking a significant personal best improvement.[7] In 1999, he claimed the national title in the 400-meter hurdles, securing his position among the world's top-10 performers in the event starting that year.[7] These achievements underscored his technical maturation and positioned him for international contention ahead of the 2000 Olympic cycle.[13]2000 Sydney Olympics
Angelo Taylor qualified for the 2000 U.S. Olympic team by winning the men's 400m hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento on July 22, 2000, with a time of 47.62 seconds, ahead of Eric Thomas (48.22s) and James Carter (48.46s).[14][15] Despite entering as a 21-year-old with prior world No. 2 ranking in 1999, Taylor overcame hamstring tightness during the trials final, relying on his strong flat 400m speed and efficient hurdling mechanics to secure the spot.[16] At the Sydney Olympics, Taylor advanced through the heats on September 25 (49.48s) and semifinals on September 27 (48.49s) before the final on September 27.[17] In the final, assigned to lane 1—a position disadvantaging runners due to the tighter curve—he started conservatively, trailing in fourth place after the eighth hurdle but executed a powerful late surge, passing Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily of Saudi Arabia with his final stride to win gold in 47.50 seconds, just 0.03 seconds ahead (Al-Somaily silver in 47.53s; Llewellyn Herbert bronze in 47.81s).[3][18] This victory marked the fourth straight U.S. gold in the event, attributed to Taylor's superior anaerobic capacity and low center-of-gravity hurdle technique, which minimized air time and preserved speed on the curve.[19] Taylor also contributed to the U.S. 4x400m relay, running the heats (September 29, 3:03.52s as first leg) and semifinals (2:58.78s), helping secure qualification for the final won by the U.S. team in 2:56.35s, though the medal was later vacated due to a teammate's doping violation.[20] Post-victory, Taylor received immediate acclaim as an upset winner against more experienced favorites like defending champion Derrick Adkins (who failed to qualify for finals), boosting U.S. track prestige amid the Games' doping scrutiny.[18]2001-2007 Competitions and Setbacks
Following his 2000 Olympic success, Taylor competed in the 400 m hurdles at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, advancing to the semifinals where he recorded a time of 48.49 seconds but failed to qualify for the final.[2] He contributed to the United States' gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the same event, running on the victorious team that clocked 2:57.54.[2] Earlier that year, Taylor secured the U.S. national title in the 400 m hurdles with a winning time of 48.25 seconds at the USA Outdoor Championships.[13] Taylor did not qualify for the U.S. team for the 2003 World Championships in Paris, marking a dip in individual form after early post-Olympic promise, during which he remained ranked in the global top 10 for 400 m hurdles in 2001.[13] Participation in subsequent major individual events was limited, with no advancement to finals at the 2005 World Championships in hurdles after qualifying via domestic meets. Empirical performance data showed inconsistent hurdle times in the 48-second range, reflecting challenges in replicating pre-2000 peak velocity over barriers. By 2007, Taylor shifted emphasis toward flat 400 m racing amid recovery efforts, winning the U.S. national title in the event at the USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis with a time of 44.59 seconds.[21] At the World Championships in Osaka, he earned bronze in the individual 400 m final (44.32 seconds) and anchored the U.S. 4 × 400 m relay to gold (2:55.56).[22] [22] Earlier in the season, he improved his flat 400 m personal best to 44.35 seconds at the Georgia Tech Invitational, surpassing his prior mark of 44.68 from 2001 and demonstrating sustained speed endurance despite no major hurdles golds.[23] These years were punctuated by physical setbacks, including stress fractures in both shins diagnosed after persistent lower-leg pain, which forced training interruptions and a period of reduced competition around 2006.[20] Taylor was effectively sidelined for approximately 14 months prior to mid-2007, during which he worked non-athletic jobs while addressing shin-related agony through medical intervention and adjusted regimens.[24] Global rankings placed him in the top 10 for 400 m hurdles again in 2007, underscoring resilience amid these empirical hurdles in maintaining barrier-specific consistency.[13]2008 Beijing Olympics
Angelo Taylor secured gold in the men's 400 m hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on August 18, running a personal best of 47.25 seconds, which also marked the world-leading time for the year.[25][20] Starting from an inside lane, Taylor adopted a conservative early pace, trailing competitors through the initial hurdles before mounting a decisive surge in the final straight, leveraging superior endurance to pull ahead and lead a United States sweep of the medals, with Kerron Clement taking silver in 47.98 seconds and Bershawn Jackson bronze in 48.06 seconds.[26] This victory represented a remarkable resurgence for the 29-year-old athlete, who had battled injuries and inconsistent performances since his 2000 triumph, attributing his improved form to focused strength training and refined hurdling technique that enhanced late-race acceleration despite age-related recovery challenges.[20][27] Five days later, on August 23, Taylor contributed to the U.S. team's gold in the 4 × 400 m relay, running a swift 43.70-second second leg as part of a quartet that set an Olympic record of 2:55.39.[28][29] His dual golds made Taylor only the second man in history to win Olympic titles in the 400 m hurdles eight years apart, underscoring the rarity of sustained peak performance in a discipline demanding explosive power and anaerobic capacity over aging physiology.[20] Post-race celebrations highlighted the U.S. dominance, with Taylor's achievements affirming strategic preparation's role in overcoming prior physiological setbacks through evidence-based training adaptations.[26]Post-2008 Events and Retirement
Taylor qualified for his fourth Olympic Games at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, running 48.57 seconds in the 400 m hurdles final to secure selection.[30] At the London Olympics, he advanced through the heats (49.29 s) and semifinals (47.95 s) before placing fifth in the final with 48.25 seconds, a time 1 second slower than his 2008 Olympic-winning performance and reflective of diminished speed linked to age and career-long physical accumulation from high-impact hurdling.[31] [32] He also anchored the United States to a silver medal in the 4 × 400 m relay, finishing behind the Bahamas team.[4] Post-Olympics, Taylor's participation in elite meets dwindled, with no further qualifications for major championships like the World Championships.[13] Available records show no top-tier results after 2012, as his times fell outside competitive contention for a 34-year-old hurdler facing biomechanical stresses from repeated impacts and muscle recovery challenges inherent to the event.[33] By 2016, Taylor's season's best in the 400 m hurdles was 54.52 seconds—over 7 seconds off his peak—suggesting a cessation of professional-level training and competition.[33] He effectively retired from elite athletics in the mid-2010s, transitioning amid evident performance plateaus driven by physiological decline rather than acute injury reports.[5]Competitive Achievements
Personal Bests and Records
Angelo Taylor's personal best in the 400 metres hurdles is 47.25 seconds, set during the Olympic final on August 18, 2008, in Beijing, China.[33][20] This time ranked eighth-fastest in history upon achievement and currently places him 16th on the all-time list for the event.[34][20] His flat 400 metres best is 44.05 seconds, recorded on June 23, 2007, at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.[33][35] This performance positioned him 15th all-time in the event at the time, highlighting versatility against pure sprinters.[35] Taylor held no world records, but his hurdles best compared favorably to the era's benchmarks, including the standing world record of 46.78 seconds by Kevin Young from 1992, affirming his status among top Olympic-era performers without sub-47-second dominance seen in later athletes like Karsten Warholm.[34]| Event | Mark | Date | Venue/Meet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 metres hurdles | 47.25 | 18 Aug 2008 | Beijing Olympics |
| 400 metres | 44.05 | 23 Jun 2007 | USA Championships, Indianapolis |
| 400 metres (indoor) | 45.50 | 27 Feb 1999 | N/A |
Major Medals and Rankings
Angelo Taylor secured three Olympic gold medals, including individual victories in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2000 Sydney Games and the 2008 Beijing Games, as well as a gold in the 4 × 400 metres relay at Beijing.[4] He added a silver medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2012 London Olympics.[4] At the World Championships, Taylor earned three gold medals in the 4 × 400 metres relay across 2007, 2009, and 2011, alongside a bronze in the open 400 metres in 2007.[13]| Olympics | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 Sydney | 400 m hurdles | Gold[36] |
| 2008 Beijing | 400 m hurdles | Gold[4] |
| 2008 Beijing | 4 × 400 m relay | Gold[4] |
| 2012 London | 4 × 400 m relay | Silver[4] |
| World Championships | Event | Medal | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka | 400 m | Bronze | 2007[13] |
| Osaka | 4 × 400 m relay | Gold | 2007[13] |
| Berlin | 4 × 400 m relay | Gold | 2009[5] |
| Daegu | 4 × 400 m relay | Gold | 2011[13] |