Michael "Mike" Franks (born September 23, 1963) is a former American

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete who competed in the 400-meter dash. He was the

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, e ...

ist in the event at the inaugural

1983 World Championships in Athletics The 1st 1983 World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between 7 and 14 August 1983. Summary The overall med ...

.Franks Michael

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body fo ...

. Retrieved on 2011-02-05. He was given the

Harrison Dillard Award Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or "P ...

in 1984 for his achievements. While attending

Southern Illinois University Carbondale Southern Illinois University (SIU or SIUC) is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. The university enrolls students from all 50 ...

, he took the 400 m title at the 1985 NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship. That same year he took the gold medal at the

1985 IAAF Grand Prix Final The 1985 IAAF Grand Prix Final was the first edition of the season-ending competition for track and field, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy on 7 September 1985. ...

and two further golds at the 1985 IAAF World Cup in the 400 m and 4×400-meter relay events. He was the fastest athlete of

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

over 400 m with his personal best time of 44.47 seconds. He competed at the

1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 1st IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in Indianapolis, United States from March 6 to March 8, 1987. The championship had previously been known as the World Indoor Games, which were held once before changing the name. Being ...

and secured the bronze medal behind Antonio McKay and Roberto Hernández. Turning to the outdoor season, he won at the 1987 Summer Universiade, taking the 400 m students' title. He was selected as an alternate for the 4×400 m relay at the

1987 World Championships in Athletics The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987. Men's results Track 1983 , 1987 ...

and helped set a championship record of 2:59.06 in the semi-finals (which was later improved upon when the Americans took gold in the event final.Results - 4 X 400 METRES - Men - Semi-Final
.

. Retrieved on 2011-02-05.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Franks, Michael Living people 1963 births American male sprinters Southern Illinois Salukis athletes World Athletics Championships medalists Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) Universiade gold medalists for the United States World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists World Athletics Championships winners Medalists at the 1987 Summer Universiade