Delisa Walton-Floyd (born Delisa Walton, 28 July 1961) is a former World-Class middle distance runner who specialized in the 800 metres; she was a two-time

National Collegiate The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

champion, and two-time U.S. Open champion in her event. Delisa Walton-Floyd represented the United States at the 1987

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

; winning a

silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

at 800 meters. Walton-Floyd also competed at the World Championships in

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

and

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

; advancing to the semi-final on both occasions. After finishing second at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Walton-Floyd reached the pinnacle of her career at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

in Seoul, South Korea. During a very close final race, Walton-Floyd produced a lifetime best performance of 1:57.80 to finish in fifth place - less than a second from a

bronze medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...

. Walton-Floyd is a 1983 graduate of the University of Tennessee, where she earned accolades as an All-American track and field athlete for the Volunteers. A native of Detroit and a 1979 graduate of Mackenzie High School, Delisa Walton-Floyd won a total of five individual State Titles - leading her Mackenzie Stags to a State Track and Field Team Championship in 1978. She set the still standing NFHS national high school records in the 880 yard run at 2:07.7. The federation converted record-keeping to metric distances shortly afterward. Fittingly, Walton-Floyd was voted by Michigan sportswriters as 1978 High School Track and Field Athlete of the Year. In 1991 she was tested positive for

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from alpha- methylphenethylamine) is a strong central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. It is also commonly used ...

and suspended. She claimed she took a drug called ''Sydnocarb'' which the United States Olympic Committee's Drug Hotline had assured her to be legal after her inquiry. A lawsuit that she filed against the USOC had no success.

Noteworthy

Delisa Walton-Floyd still holds the Michigan high school record of 2:07.7 at 800 meters; a mark that has stood the test of time since 1978. With her personal best of 1:57.80, Delisa Walton-Floyd continues to rank among the top-five 800 meter performers in American track and field history; she is also the current ''world record holder'' in both the indoor 600 yard and 600 meter run. Delisa's husband,

Stanley Floyd Stanley Floyd (born June 23, 1961) is a retired track and field sprinter from the United States. He was a 1979 graduate of Dougherty High School in Albany, Georgia. In 1980, he was considered one of the favorites for the 100m title but was denie ...

, was himself a former World-Class sprinter; running the second fastest

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

worldwide in 1980 and 1982. Stanley and Delisa have two daughters, Ebonie and Kalyn. Ebonie was an NCAA All-American sprinter at the University of Houston; producing the fourth fastest 200 meters (22.32) in the world during 2007. By virtue of her sixth-place finish (400 meters) at the 2008 US Olympic Trials, Ebonie earned a position on the Olympic Team as a member of the 1600-meter relay squad. Kalyn Floyd was also a sprinter on the UH track team.

Of further note

The 79-year legacy of Detroit-Mackenzie High School includes two alumni who competed in the Olympic Games. Barbara Sue Gilders (a 1956 graduate) represented the United States in the sport of springboard diving at the 1956 Summer Games. Both Delisa Walton and Barb Gilders were U.S. Olympic Trials silver medalists, and Olympic finalists; both Walton and Gilders were Pan American Games medalists who narrowly missed an Olympic medal.

Barbara Gilders-Dudeck Barbara Sue Gilders (later ''Dudeck'', born July 23, 1937) is a retired American diver. She competed in the 3 m springboard at the 1956 Summer Olympics and 1959 Pan American Games and finished fourth and third, respectively. Coached by four-time ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walton-Floyd, Delisa 1961 births Living people Track and field athletes from Detroit American female middle-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Pan American Games Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes of the United States University of Tennessee alumni Doping cases in athletics American sportspeople in doping cases Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) Universiade silver medalists for the United States Medalists at the 1981 Summer Universiade Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games Mackenzie High School (Michigan) alumni 21st-century American women