Hall of Fame

Evelyn Ashford is a five-time Olympic medalist, four-time gold medalist and the first woman to run the 100-meter dash in under 11 seconds at an Olympic Games. Born into a military family in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ashford began to excel at sprinting in her teens, making her first Olympic team in 1976 at the age of 19. She would finish fifth in the 100 dash at the Olympic Games Montreal 1976 before hitting her true stride. At the 1979 World Cup, Ashford beat two world record-holders in the 100 and 200 events. She was ranked No. 1 in the world by Track & Field News during this time in the 100 dash, and once again won the sprint double at the world cup in 1981. Ashford set her first world record in 1983 when she finished the 100 dash in 10.79 seconds at the National Sports Festival in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984, she set a new Olympic record in the 100 with a time of 10.97 seconds. She received her second gold medal of the Games as a member of the 4x100 relay team. She would win gold medals in the 4x100 relay again at the Seoul 1998 Games and at the Barcelona 1992 Games, the first time a female athlete has won three consecutive 4x100 relay gold medals. Ashford also served as flag bearer at the 1988 Games. She was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Game in 1990 and the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1997.