Elvyonn Bailey (born 28 September 1991) is an American former

sprint Sprint may refer to: Aerospace * Spring WS202 Sprint, a Canadian aircraft design *Sprint (missile), an anti-ballistic missile Automobiles *Alfa Romeo Sprint, automobile produced by Alfa Romeo between 1976 and 1989 *Chevrolet Sprint, a rebadged v ...

er specializing in the

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...

and the 2016

World Athletics Indoor Championships The World Athletics Indoor Championships are a biennial indoor track and field competition served as the global championship for that version of the sport. Organised by the World Athletics, the competition was inaugurated as the ''World Indoor G ...

gold medalist in the

4 × 400 m relay 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hi ...

by virtue of running in the heats. Before that moment, Bailey was an

All America 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 ...

n runner for the

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers are the athletic teams that represent Western Kentucky University (WKU), located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, competing in the ...

in the relays and finished 3rd in the 400 m at the

2016 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships The 2016 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships was held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Organised by USA Track and Field (USATF), the two-day competition took place from March 11 to March 12 and served as the national champ ...

Career

In 2011 and 2012, Bailey ran for the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes track and field team (at the time part of the

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, State college (disambiguation), state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 sepa ...

). He qualified for the junior college national track and field championships seven times, including individually in the

100 m 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 ...

and

200 m The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a Sprint (running), sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run th ...

. Bailey transferred to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers track and field team from 2013 to 2015. After failing to advance from the semifinals of the 4 × 100 m at the

2013 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2013 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were the 92nd NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the 32nd NCAA Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon ...

, Bailey became a two-time

n at the 2014 Championships, finishing 5th in the 4 × 100 m and 4th in the 4 × 400 m. Bailey achieved his greatest success in 2016. Running 46.22 seconds, he placed 2nd in his heat and 3rd overall at the

, behind only

Vernon Norwood Vernon Larnard Norwood (born April 10, 1992) is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 400 meters. Biography Raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, he is the son of Curtis Norwood and Charliette Ray. Norwood started running track ...

and Kyle Clemons to qualify himself for the 4 × 400 m at the 2016 Portland World Indoor Championships. With Bailey leading off, the U.S. team posted the fastest qualifier going into the finals. In the finals, Bailey and Patrick Feeney were replaced by Clemons and Norwood, and the United States won the gold medal.

Personal life

Bailey was born on 28 September 1991 and grew up in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...

attending Martin Luther King High School, where he played football as a

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

. He first attended

Arkansas Baptist College Arkansas Baptist College (ABC) is a private Baptist-affiliated historically black college in Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded in 1884 as the Minister's Institute, while later renaming it to its current name in April 1885, ABC was initially funde ...

before transferring to

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a few decades earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glas ...

Statistics

Personal best progression

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Elvyonn Living people 1991 births American male sprinters 21st-century American sportsmen World Athletics Indoor Championships winners Western Kentucky Hilltoppers track and field athletes American football running backs Sportspeople from Riverside, California Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes men's track and field athletes Martin Luther King High School (Riverside, California) alumni