Delisa Walton-Floyd (born Delisa Walton, 28 July 1961) is a former World-Class middle-distance runner who specialized in the

800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (American and British English spelling differences#-re.2C -er, US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of a ...

; 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, and 1 in Canada. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and helps ...

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

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

at the 1987

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

; 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, ...

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

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

and

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

; 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 the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...

Seoul, South Korea Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. 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 receives ...

. Walton-Floyd is a 1983 graduate of the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

, where she earned accolades as an

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

track and field athlete for the Volunteers. A native of

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

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 and beta carbon, alpha-methylphenethylamine, methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, an ...

and suspended. She claimed she took a drug called ''Sydnocarb'' which the

United States Olympic Committee The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) for the United States. It was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado ...

'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 Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

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 contested at ...

worldwide in 1980 and 1982. Stanley and Delisa have two daughters, Ebonie and Kalyn. Ebonie was an

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

sprinter at the

University of Houston The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...

; 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 1988 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes for the United States University of Tennessee alumni Doping cases in athletics American sportspeople in doping cases Medalists at the 1981 Summer Universiade Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) FISU World University Games silver medalists for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field) Mackenzie High School (Michigan) alumni 20th-century American sportswomen Tennessee Volunteers women's track and field athletes NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners