Ato Boldon

Ato Boldon is one of the greatest sprinters of all-time to never win an Olympic gold medal. A four-time Olympian, he did win four Olympic medals, with bronzes in the 200 in 1996 and 2000, and in the 100 in 1996, adding a silver medal in the 100 at Sydney in 2000. Boldon was World Champion in the 200 metres in 1997, won a silver medal in the 4x100 for Trinidad and Tobago in 2001, and won World bronze medals in the 100 in 1995 and 2001. He was also the 1998 Commonwealth Games Champion in the 100 metres. Boldon was chosen to be his nation’s flagbearer at the 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Boldon attended college at UCLA in the United States and won the NCAA title in the 200 in 1995 and the 100 in 1996. He was world ranked in the top 10 of the 100 metres every year from 1995-2001, ranking #2 in 1998 and 2001. In the 200 metres he was world ranked #1 in 1998 and #2 in 1997 and 2000.

Boldon started out as a football (soccer) player, but went to high school in New York and California, where he was encouraged to try sprinting. After he retired from competition Boldon became a well-known sportscaster on track & field telecasts in the USA, notably on NBC and ESPN, and worked on NASCAR coverage and for NBC at the Winter Olympics. He spent time in politics, serving as a senator in the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament from 2006-07, representing the United National Congress.

Personal Bests: 100 – 9.86 (1998); 200 – 19.77 (1997).