Francena McCorory in 2015
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Personal information | |
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Born |
Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
October 20, 1988
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
Weight | 150 lb (68 kg) |
Sport | |
Country | United States |
Sport | Track and field |
Event(s) | 400 meters |
Club | Adidas, Herzogenaurach (GER) |
Medal record
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Francena McCorory (born October 20, 1988) is an American track and field athlete, known primarily for running the 400 metres, and is the NCAA and American indoor record holder in that event. She was a member of the 2012 United States Olympic team and won the gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She is the reigning IAAF 400 meter Indoor World Champion (2014).
McCorory attended Bethel High School in her hometown of Hampton, Virginia where she displayed her talent for the 400 metres. A notable performance was at the 2005 Virginia Group AAA Eastern Region meet, where McCorory took her team's baton as much as 80 metres behind the leaders of the race, but cruised to victory past six other teams. Later, she set the National High School Indoor record at 51.93, a record previously held by future champion World Champion Sanya Richards, in her only attempt at the distance.
Despite being recruited by larger universities, McCorory attended her hometown school of Hampton University. She won the 2009 NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships and later in the year finished third in the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In 2010, she went to Fayetteville, Arkansas to defend her championship. Instead of merely repeating as champion, she won the race by over a second, setting the NCAA record and beating Diane Dixon's 19-year-old American record in the event, running 50.54. Later that year she won the NCAA Outdoor championship, in 50.69, actually slower than her Indoor record. A few weeks later, she improved her personal best to 50.52 while finishing second at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.