Donald Mark Witherspoon (born September 3, 1963, in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

former sprinter. He joined his high school track team after having success as a cornerback on the football team. In college, he was primarily a 200 m and 400 m runner. He recorded an impressive 19.3 200 m split on a and a 43.9 440 yd leg on a 4x440 yd while in college. As a professional, he competed in the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...

, where he tore his

achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...

International competitions

¹Did not finish in the semifinals

Personal bests

Outdoor *

100 meters 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 ...

– 10.04 (+1.8 m/s, San José 1987) *

200 meters The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a 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 the race. A slight ...

– 20.12 (+1.0 m/s, Houston 1989)

References

1963 births Living people Track and field athletes from Chicago American male sprinters Houston Cougars men's track and field athletes Pan American Games track and field athletes for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Pan American Games Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists Goodwill Games medalists in athletics USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners Competitors at the 1990 Goodwill Games 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-sprint-athletics-bio-stub