Ato Boldon
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Template:MedalTop Template:MedalSport Template:MedalBronze Template:MedalBronze Template:MedalSilver Template:MedalBronze Template:MedalBottom Ato Boldon (born December 30, 1973) is an athlete from Trinidad and Tobago, a four-time Olympic medal winner.
Born in Port of Spain, Boldon left for the United States at age fourteen, and became a football player. There, his sprinting capacities were discovered, and he quit playing football in the early 1990s.
Boldon was sent to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, and later that year he won the 100 m and 200 m titles at the World Junior Championships.
Boldon won his first international medal at the 1995 World Championships, taking home the bronze in the 100 m. He repeated that performance at the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he also placed third in both the 100 m and 200 m events. In 1997, he won his first title, taking the 200 m at the World Championships, his country's first title in that competition.
The following year Ato picked up gold in the 100 m 1998 Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, recording a time of 9.88 seconds beating Namibia's Frankie Fredericks (9.96) into silver and Obadele Thompson (10.00) Barbados bronze.
A silver medal in the 100 m and a bronze in the 200 m were the result of the 2000 Summer Olympics, after he had been hampered by injuries the year before.
In 2001, Boldon tested positive for ephedrine, and was given a warning, but was not suspended. Boldon maintained the doping was part of a cold medicine. Boldon finished fourth in the men's 100 m sprint and was in the men's 4x100metre relay team that finished third at the 2001 World Championships, but was upgraded to bronze and silver medals in 2005 after the times of the American Tim Montgomery were removed from the record for doping violations.
Ato Boldon is the eighth person to win an Olympic medal for Trinidad and Tobago (see Trinidad and Tobago Olympic medalists).
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Politics
Boldon was sworn in on February 14, 2006, as a Senator representing the Opposition United National Congress following the resignation of former Senator Roy Augustus, who resigned on February 13 in a dispute over the leadership style of Leader of the Opposition Basdeo Panday.
Achievements
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | IAAF World Junior Championships | Seoul, Korea | 1st | 100 m |
| 1992 | IAAF World Junior Championships | Seoul, Korea | 1st | 200 m |
| 1995 | IAAF World Championships | Goteborg, Sweden | 3rd | 100 m |
| 1996 | 1996 Summer Olympics | Atlanta, Georgia | 3rd | 100 m |
| 1996 | 1996 Summer Olympics | Atlanta, Georgia | 3rd | 200 m |
| 1997 | IAAF World Championships | Athens, Greece | 5th | 100 m |
| 1997 | IAAF Grand Prix Final | Fukuoka, Japan | 4th | 200 m |
| 1998 | Commonwealth Games | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 1st | 100 m |
| 1998 | Goodwill Games | New York City, New York | 1st | 200 m |
| 2000 | 2000 Summer Olympics | Sydney, Australia | 2nd | 100 m |
| 2000 | 2000 Summer Olympics | Sydney, Australia | 3rd | 200 m |
| 2001 | IAAF World Championships | Edmonton, Alberta | 3rd | 100 m |
Personal Bests
| Date | Event | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 19, 1998 | 100 m | Walnut, California | 9.86 |
| July 13, 1997 | 200 m | Stuttgart, Germany | 19.77 |