Kirk Baptiste (June 20, 1962 – March 24, 2022) was an American track and field athlete, who mainly competed in the 200 metres. He was born in Beaumont, Texas. He competed for the United States at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

held in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, where he won the silver medal in the 200 metres with a time of 19.96 seconds. This was the first time anyone had broken 20 seconds and come second in the race. He decided to forgo his final season of eligibility at the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the university in Texas with over 47,000 students. Its campus, which is primarily in s ...

after his successful junior year. Baptiste was diagnosed with

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

in the 1990s, spending a decade abusing drugs to escape. In 2006 he began treatment at "A Caring Safe Place" in Houston.http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/2006_4056734/a-caring-safe-place-facility-offers-a-second-chanc.html

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* * * 1962 births 2022 deaths American male sprinters Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Beaumont, Texas Track and field athletes from Texas People with HIV/AIDS Houston Cougars men's track and field athletes Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners World Athletics Indoor Championships winners {{US-athletics-Olympic-medalist-stub