Chandra Cheeseborough
Encyclopedia
Chandra Danette Cheeseborough (born January 10, 1959 in Jacksonville, Florida
) is an American track and field
athlete. Cheeseborough broke onto the international track scene at age 16 by winning two gold medals at the 1975 Pan American Games
, taking the 200 m in an American record time of 22.77 seconds. In 1976, she set an American junior record of 11.13 seconds in winning the 100 meters at the national championships, then placed sixth in that event at the Montreal
Olympics
.
She graduated from Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida
in 1974, where she set the still standing NFHS national high school records in both the 100 yard (10.3) and 220 yard (23.3) dashes. The federation converted record-keeping to metric distances shortly afterward. Next she attended Tennessee State, where she was a member of national championship teams that set world indoor records of 1:08.9 minutes in the 640-yard relay and 1:47.17 in the 800-yard sprint medley relay. She won the national indoor 200-yard dash in 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1983. Her breakthrough year in the 400m came in 1984, when she set two American records in the event, then placed second in the Los Angeles Olympics in a career best of 49.04. She made history at the 1984 Games when she became the first woman to win gold medals in both relays, which were held less than an hour apart.
Cheeseborough later became a coach and returned to Tennessee State. She was named head coach of both men and women in 1999. She also has served as an assistant coach for the U.S. team at the 1999 Junior Pan-Am Championships.
In March of 2007 it was announced that Cheeseborough would be the assistant coach for the 2008 Olympic team. Cheeseborough coached the sprints and hurdles for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
) is an American track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete. Cheeseborough broke onto the international track scene at age 16 by winning two gold medals at the 1975 Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, taking the 200 m in an American record time of 22.77 seconds. In 1976, she set an American junior record of 11.13 seconds in winning the 100 meters at the national championships, then placed sixth in that event at the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
.
She graduated from Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
in 1974, where she set the still standing NFHS national high school records in both the 100 yard (10.3) and 220 yard (23.3) dashes. The federation converted record-keeping to metric distances shortly afterward. Next she attended Tennessee State, where she was a member of national championship teams that set world indoor records of 1:08.9 minutes in the 640-yard relay and 1:47.17 in the 800-yard sprint medley relay. She won the national indoor 200-yard dash in 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1983. Her breakthrough year in the 400m came in 1984, when she set two American records in the event, then placed second in the Los Angeles Olympics in a career best of 49.04. She made history at the 1984 Games when she became the first woman to win gold medals in both relays, which were held less than an hour apart.
Cheeseborough later became a coach and returned to Tennessee State. She was named head coach of both men and women in 1999. She also has served as an assistant coach for the U.S. team at the 1999 Junior Pan-Am Championships.
In March of 2007 it was announced that Cheeseborough would be the assistant coach for the 2008 Olympic team. Cheeseborough coached the sprints and hurdles for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Competition record
- 1976 Olympics: 100 m (6th)
- 1984 Olympics: 400 m - 49.04 (2nd)
- 1984 Olympics: 4x100m relay (1st)
- 1984 Olympics: 4x400m relay (1st)
- 1976 National Championships: 100 m - 11.13 (1st)
- 1979 National Indoor Championships: 200 yd. (1st)
- 1984 National Indoor Champs: 200 yd. (1st)
- 1982 National Indoor Champs: 200 yd. (1st)
- 1983 National Indoor Champs: 200 yd. (1st)
- 1975 Pan Am Games: 200 m - 22.77 (1st)