Benita Fitzgerald-Brown
Encyclopedia
Benita Fitzgerald-Brown (born July 6, 1961) is a retired American
athlete, who mainly competed in the women's 100 metres hurdles
event.
She competed for the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics
held in Los Angeles
where she won the gold medal in a time of 12.84 seconds, beating favourite Shirley Strong
by 0.04 seconds.
Fitzgerald only is the second U.S. woman, after Babe Didrikson
, and the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles. She was also a member of the 1980 United States Olympic team and an alternate for the 1988 United States Olympic team.
A native of Warrenton, Virginia
, she grew up in nearby Dale City
where at an early age she began to excel in athletics and academics. She attended the University of Tennessee on a full athletic scholarship, where she earned a B.S. in industrial engineering. While at Tennessee, she was a fifteen-time All-American and won 4 NCAA titles, including three 100-meter outdoor hurdles championships.
In 1996, Fitzgerald was honored as one of eight U.S. Olympians to carry the Olympic flag into the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. Fitzgerald has been inducted into numerous halls of fame, including the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, and the University of Tennessee's Lady Volunteers Hall of Fame.
There is a street named after Fitzgerald in her childhood hometown of Dale City. The street can be found off Dale Blvd. between I-95 and Minnieville Rd.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete, who mainly competed in the women's 100 metres hurdles
100 metres hurdles
The 100 m hurdles are an Olympic track and field athletics discipline run by women . For the race ten hurdles of a height of 83.8 cm are placed evenly spaced along a straight course of 100 meters. They are positioned so that they will fall over if bumped into by the runner...
event.
She competed for the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
held in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where she won the gold medal in a time of 12.84 seconds, beating favourite Shirley Strong
Shirley Strong
Shirley Elaine Strong is a British athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres hurdles.She competed for Great Britain in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, U.S. in the 100 metre hurdles where she won the Silver medal....
by 0.04 seconds.
Fitzgerald only is the second U.S. woman, after Babe Didrikson
Babe Zaharias
Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field...
, and the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles. She was also a member of the 1980 United States Olympic team and an alternate for the 1988 United States Olympic team.
A native of Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two...
, she grew up in nearby Dale City
Dale City, Virginia
Dale City is an unincorporated community in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census designated place , the community had a total population of 63,616 according to the 2006 American Community Survey....
where at an early age she began to excel in athletics and academics. She attended the University of Tennessee on a full athletic scholarship, where she earned a B.S. in industrial engineering. While at Tennessee, she was a fifteen-time All-American and won 4 NCAA titles, including three 100-meter outdoor hurdles championships.
In 1996, Fitzgerald was honored as one of eight U.S. Olympians to carry the Olympic flag into the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. Fitzgerald has been inducted into numerous halls of fame, including the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, and the University of Tennessee's Lady Volunteers Hall of Fame.
There is a street named after Fitzgerald in her childhood hometown of Dale City. The street can be found off Dale Blvd. between I-95 and Minnieville Rd.