James Sanford, born , is a retired 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...

 sprinter

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...

 from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, best known for setting the 1981 world's best year performance in the men's 200 metres

200 metres

A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...

. He did so on 1981-05-10 at a meet in Westwood, California

Westwood, California

Westwood is a census-designated place in Lassen County, California, United States. Westwood is located west-southwest of Susanville, at an elevation of 5128 feet...

, clocking 20.20.

While running for John Muir High School, Sanford won the 400 metres

400 metres

The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

, anchored his team to victory in the 4x400 metres relay and was second in the 200 metres (a race brother Michael was to win the next two years) at the 1977 CIF California State Meet

CIF California State Meet

The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a direct qualification path that can reach the state meet...

, before moving on to the University of Southern California

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

 where he would be in the world sprint rankings for the next four years. Sanford still holds the school records in the 100 metres and 200 metres--a statement all the more impressive considering some of the people who have been through the program including Olympic sprint Gold Medalists Lennox Miller

Lennox Miller

Lennox V. Miller was a champion runner and father of Inger Miller....

, Don Quarrie

Don Quarrie

Donald O'Riley Quarrie C.D is a former Jamaican athlete, one of the world's top sprinters during the 1970s....

, Mel Patton

Mel Patton

Melvin Emery "Mel" Patton is an American track and field athlete, who won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...

 and Quincy Watts

Quincy Watts

Quincy D. Watts is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics.Born in Detroit, Michigan, Quincy Watts attended the University of Southern California where he excelled not only as an athlete but also as a wide receiver on the college football team...

. Along with Michael he also is on the school record holding 4x100 metres relay team.

In 1979, Sanford was the 1979 IAAF World Cup

1979 IAAF World Cup

The 2nd IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations, held on August 24–26, 1979, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada.-Men:|width="50"| ...

 Champion at 100 metres. Sanford was the favorite going in to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott marred United States Olympic Trials (track and field)

United States Olympic Trials (track and field)

The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...

, but was beaten first by a young Carl Lewis

Carl Lewis

Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...

, then finished third in the 100 metres at the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship

NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship

The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...

s before injuring himself in the 200 metres, ending his season.