Darvis Patton
Encyclopedia
Darvis "Doc" Darell Patton (born December 4, 1977) is an American sprint
athlete. He was the US Champion
and World silver medallist over 200 meters in 2003. He has had much success with the American 4×100-meter relay team, becoming the 2003 and 2007 World Champion and winning a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
.
He initially focused on the 200 m but, after missing 2005 and 2006 due to injury, he switched to the 100 meter dash. He won the 100 m silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games
and reached the finals of the event at the 2008 Summer Olympics
and the 2009 World Championships
. He has broken the 10-second barrier
and his personal record of 9.89 seconds places him within the top-ten fastest Americans in the event.
and triple jump
in his high school
and college
days but now concentrates his time around the 200 meters and 100 meters events. He had his first successes as a senior in 2002 when he was runner up in the 200 m at both the Indoor
and Outdoor US Championships
. The following season saw him reach the global podium for the first time: he became the US Champion in the 200 m and went on to win the silver medal
in the event at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
. He also won a gold medal
as part of the American men's 4×100-meter relay team. He also began to improve in the 100 m that year, winning at the ISTAF Golden League
meet and improving his personal record to 10.00 seconds at the Weltklasse Zürich
meeting.
After a fourth place finish in the 200 m at the 2004 US Olympic Trials, he was nominated as the substitute for the 4×100 m relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics
. Patton helped the American team ease through the heats, recording a time of 38.02 seconds. He was substituted for the newly crowned 100 m Olympic champion Justin Gatlin
for the final race, but the move backfired for the team as they finished a little slower (38.08) and had to settle for the silver medal behind Great Britain – who they had easily beaten in the heats. Patton's 2005 and 2006 seasons were wrecked by significant groin and hip injuries and he only returned to major competitions in 2007.
. He finished second in the 100 m behind Churandy Martina
and anchored the relay team to a bronze medal
. He was chosen as part of the relay team for the 2007 World Championships
and this time made the final after qualifying. The American team became the world champions in a world-leading time of 37.78 seconds, fending off the Jamaica
n challengers who set a national record
.
On 28 June 2008, Patton achieved his best performance running 9.89 s (wind +1.6 m/s) in 100 metres, winning the third race of the quarter finals of U.S. Olympic Trials. On the following day in the final, he ran 9.84 and finished third after Tyson Gay
(9.68 s) and Walter Dix
(9.80 s) in a very wind-aided (+3.1 m/s) race.
During the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
he placed second in his heat behind Tyrone Edgar
in a time of 10.25 seconds. In the second round he improved his time to 10.04 seconds, finishing second in his heat behind Usain Bolt
and qualifying for the semi finals. With 10.03 and the fourth time in his semi final heat he qualified for the Olympic final, being the slowest of all eight athletes. In the final itself he ran another 10.03 and was again the slowest and thus the eighth placed athlete. Together with Rodney Martin
, Travis Padgett
and Tyson Gay
he also competed at the 4x100 metres relay. In their qualification heat they did not finish due to a mistake in the baton exchange between Patton and Gay and they were eliminated.
Patton came second to Michael Rodgers in a close 100 m race at the US championships in June 2009. This won him a place on the American team for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
. He managed to reach the final of the men's 100 meters
after scoring a season's best of 9.98 in the semi-finals. He performed poorly in the final however, finishing last with a slow time of 10.34 seconds. The hopes of the American men's relay team were again dashed by an illegal baton exchange, this time between Patton and Shawn Crawford
. Patton ended his season on a high note with a personal record-equalling run of 9.89 seconds for third at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix
, behind Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell
.
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
athlete. He was the US Champion
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
and World silver medallist over 200 meters in 2003. He has had much success with the American 4×100-meter relay team, becoming the 2003 and 2007 World Champion and winning a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
.
He initially focused on the 200 m but, after missing 2005 and 2006 due to injury, he switched to the 100 meter dash. He won the 100 m silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
and reached the finals of the event at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
and the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
. He has broken the 10-second barrier
10-second barrier
The 10-second barrier is a term used in track and field athletics which refers to the physical and psychological barrier of completing the men's 100 metres sprint in under ten seconds...
and his personal record of 9.89 seconds places him within the top-ten fastest Americans in the event.
Early career
A very versatile athlete, Patton competed at both the long jumpLong jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
and triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
in his high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
days but now concentrates his time around the 200 meters and 100 meters events. He had his first successes as a senior in 2002 when he was runner up in the 200 m at both the Indoor
USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Indoor Track and Field Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
and Outdoor US Championships
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
. The following season saw him reach the global podium for the first time: he became the US Champion in the 200 m and went on to win the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the event at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
. He also won a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
as part of the American men's 4×100-meter relay team. He also began to improve in the 100 m that year, winning at the ISTAF Golden League
Golden League
Golden League may refer to:*Golden Baseball League*IAAF Golden League*BIGBANK Kuldliiga...
meet and improving his personal record to 10.00 seconds at the Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich is an annual track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. One of the first large-scale international athletics events , it is sometimes referred to as the one day...
meeting.
After a fourth place finish in the 200 m at the 2004 US Olympic Trials, he was nominated as the substitute for the 4×100 m relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. Patton helped the American team ease through the heats, recording a time of 38.02 seconds. He was substituted for the newly crowned 100 m Olympic champion Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin is an American sprinter. He is an Olympic gold medalist, with a 100 m personal best of 9.85 seconds. He served a four-year ban from track and field for testing positive for a banned substance; Gatlin had appealed the ban in 2009, but it was later denied.- Biography :Gatlin attended...
for the final race, but the move backfired for the team as they finished a little slower (38.08) and had to settle for the silver medal behind Great Britain – who they had easily beaten in the heats. Patton's 2005 and 2006 seasons were wrecked by significant groin and hip injuries and he only returned to major competitions in 2007.
World and Olympic competition
Patton returned to action and finished eighth in the 100 m final at the 2007 US Championships, although he withdrew from the 200 m competition. Based on his performance, he was selected to represent the United States at the 2007 Pan American GamesAthletics at the 2007 Pan American Games
The athletics competition at the 2007 Pan American Games was held at the Flamengo Park and Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro between 22 July and 29 July 2007...
. He finished second in the 100 m behind Churandy Martina
Churandy Martina
Churandy Martina is a sprinter from Curaçao, currently representing the Netherlands. His personal best time over 100 metres is 9.93 seconds, a national record, achieved in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games final...
and anchored the relay team to a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. He was chosen as part of the relay team for the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
and this time made the final after qualifying. The American team became the world champions in a world-leading time of 37.78 seconds, fending off the Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n challengers who set a national record
Jamaican records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Jamaica maintained by its national athletics federation: Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to a longer distanceA = affected by altitude...
.
On 28 June 2008, Patton achieved his best performance running 9.89 s (wind +1.6 m/s) in 100 metres, winning the third race of the quarter finals of U.S. Olympic Trials. On the following day in the final, he ran 9.84 and finished third after Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay is an American track and field sprinter. His primary events are the 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal bests establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 meters and the fifth fastest athlete in the history of the 200 meters, with times of 9.69 and...
(9.68 s) and Walter Dix
Walter Dix
Walter Dix is an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He is the fourth fastest 200 m runner ever with a best of 19.53 seconds, and has broken the 10-second barrier in the 100 m with a best of 9.88 seconds.Dix was a highly successful amateur...
(9.80 s) in a very wind-aided (+3.1 m/s) race.
During the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
he placed second in his heat behind Tyrone Edgar
Tyrone Edgar
Tyrone Damien Edgar is a sprinter from Great Britain who specializes in the 100 metres.Edgar went to junior college in Kansas, USA in 2003 where he ran an impressive wind assisted 10.04 at the Junior College Championships...
in a time of 10.25 seconds. In the second round he improved his time to 10.04 seconds, finishing second in his heat behind Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
and qualifying for the semi finals. With 10.03 and the fourth time in his semi final heat he qualified for the Olympic final, being the slowest of all eight athletes. In the final itself he ran another 10.03 and was again the slowest and thus the eighth placed athlete. Together with Rodney Martin
Rodney Martin (athlete)
Rodney Martin is an American sprinter. Martin is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada. Martin was a state record holder in track and field. He attended Western High School, where he played football and ran track...
, Travis Padgett
Travis Padgett
Travis Padgett is a track and field sprint athlete who competes internationally for the United States. He was an All-American and national champion sprinter at Clemson University....
and Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay is an American track and field sprinter. His primary events are the 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal bests establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 meters and the fifth fastest athlete in the history of the 200 meters, with times of 9.69 and...
he also competed at the 4x100 metres relay. In their qualification heat they did not finish due to a mistake in the baton exchange between Patton and Gay and they were eliminated.
Patton came second to Michael Rodgers in a close 100 m race at the US championships in June 2009. This won him a place on the American team for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
. He managed to reach the final of the men's 100 meters
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres
The men's 100 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics were held at the Olympic Stadium on August 15 and August 16. The two main contenders for the event were the reigning World Champion Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder...
after scoring a season's best of 9.98 in the semi-finals. He performed poorly in the final however, finishing last with a slow time of 10.34 seconds. The hopes of the American men's relay team were again dashed by an illegal baton exchange, this time between Patton and Shawn Crawford
Shawn Crawford
Shawn Crawford is an American sprint athlete. He competes in the 100 meters and 200 meters events. He won gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics and silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 200 meters....
. Patton ended his season on a high note with a personal record-equalling run of 9.89 seconds for third at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix
Shanghai Golden Grand Prix
The Shanghai Golden Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai, PR China as part of the IAAF Diamond League. The meeting has had its inaugural edition in 2005...
, behind Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (sec Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 meters 60 meters The 60 meter band or 5 MHz band is a relatively new amateur radio allocation and originally only available in a few countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Ireland and Iceland... |
6.58 | Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... , United States |
January 25, 2003 |
| 100 meters | 9.89 | Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... , United States |
June 28, 2008 |
| 200 meters | 20.03 | Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
August 28, 2003 |
| Long jump Long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point... |
8.12 | Arlington, Texas Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex... , United States |
March 31, 2001 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
Competition record
| 2003 | World Championships 2003 World Championships in Athletics The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:... |
Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France |
2nd | 200 m |
| 1st | 4×100 m relay 2003 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 x 100 metres relay These are the official results of the Men's 4 x 100 metres relay event at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris, France. Their final was held on 31 August 2001 at 17:50h.-Final:-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Heat 3:-Heat 4:... |
|||
| World Athletics Final 2003 IAAF World Athletics Final The 1st IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on 13 September and 14 September 2003.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of the... |
Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... |
4th | 200 m | |
| 2004 | Summer Olympics Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the athletics events were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 18 to August 29, except for the marathons , the race walks , and the shot put... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece |
2nd | 4×100 m relay (heats) |
| 2007 | Pan American Games Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games The athletics competition at the 2007 Pan American Games was held at the Flamengo Park and Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro between 22 July and 29 July 2007... |
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... , Brazil |
2nd | 100 m |
| 3rd | 4×100 m relay | |||
| World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
1st | 4×100 m relay | |
| 2008 | Summer Olympics Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last 10 days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
8th | 100 m |
| DQ | 4×100 m relay | |||
| 2009 | World Championships 2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate.... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany |
8th | 100 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres The men's 100 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics were held at the Olympic Stadium on August 15 and August 16. The two main contenders for the event were the reigning World Champion Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder... |
| DQ (heats) | 4×100 m relay 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 x 100 metres relay The men's 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place at the Olympic Stadium on August 21 and August 22. The two main contenders for the event were the reigning World Champions, the United States, and the reigning Olympic Champions, Jamaica... |
External links
- Official website
- USATF profile for Darvis Patton