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Donavan Brazier

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Donavan Brazier
Personal information
Born(1997-04-15)April 15, 1997(age 27)
Grand Rapids, Michigan,U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight165 lb (75 kg)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportTrack
Event800 meters
College teamTexas A&M Aggies
Coached byPete Julian
Achievements and titles
World finals2017 London
800 m, 13th (sf)
2019 Doha
800 m,Gold
2022 Eugene
800 m, 29th (h)
Personalbests
Medal record
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Doha 800 m
World Relays
Gold medal – first place 2019 Yokohama Mixed 2×2×400 m relay
Diamond League
First place 2019 800 m

Donavan Brazier(born April 15, 1997) is an Americanmiddle-distance runner.He holds theAmerican junior recordandAmerican recordin men's800 metersand won thegold medalat the2019 World Championships.

Athletics career[edit]

Youth[edit]

In 2014, hisjunior yearatKenowa Hills High School,Brazier won the 800 meters at theNew Balance national scholastic championshipsin 1:48.61; his time was a new Michigan state record.[2][3]His times continued the drop in his senior year; he ran a 45.92 split on a 4 × 400 meters relay and improved his 800-meter best to 1:47.55, placing him fourth on the all-time national high school list.[2][4]Brazier ran 1:47.55 in June 2015 at 800 meters atSeattleBrooks PR.Brazier competed in the 800 meters at2015 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championshipsbut was disqualified.[5]In summer 2015, Brazier attempted to earn an opportunity to represent United States on his first national team as a junior (U20) at2015 Pan American Junior Athletics Championshipsto compete in the 800 m.[6]

Collegiate[edit]

After graduating from high school after the 2015 season Brazier went toTexas A&M University,where he was coached by former top runnerAlleyne Franciqueand head coachPat Henry.[3]He ran 1:45.92 in his collegiate debut race on January 16, 2016, breakingJohn Marshall's Americanjuniorindoor record by almost two seconds; the time was also aNACAC junior indoor record,and missed the Americancollegiate recordby only 0.05 seconds.[4][note 1]He won the 2016SECindoor championship in 1:46.08, but failed to finish his heat at theNCAA indoor championshipsdue to a back injury.[8][9]

Brazier returned to action outdoors, but needed several meets to return to top shape.[9]He placed third at theSEC outdoor championshipsin 1:46.19, half a second behind Mississippi State'sBrandon McBride.[8]At theNCAA outdoor championshipsinEugeneBrazier won his semi-final in a personal best 1:45.07.[9]The final was a rematch between Brazier and McBride; McBride led for most of the way, but Brazier passed him with 150 meters to go and won in 1:43.55.[10]The time was a newcollegiate record,[11]American JuniorandNACAC junior recordand world junior (U20) leader;[12]the previous American junior outdoor record wasJim Ryun's 1:44.3/1:44.9y,set exactly fifty years earlier on June 10, 1966.[13]

Professional[edit]

Brazier turned professional after his NCAA victory, signing an endorsement deal withNikeand forgoing his three remaining years of collegiate eligibility.[14][15]Brazier finished 19th in 800 meters at2016 USATF Olympic Trialsin 1:48.13.[16]Donavan Brazier reconnected with his coach fromTexas A&M University(Grenada’s top 400 m runnerAlleyne Francique).[17]At the2017 National Championships,he followedEric Sowinski's early kick into a breakaway position and held his pace as Sowinski faded to win his first national championship, thus qualifying for the World Championships.

Wesley Vasquez and Donavan Brazier in the 600 meters race at the 2020 Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar, Hungary

On August 29, 2019, Brazier set a new 800 meter personal best of 1:42.70 en route to winning the Diamond League meet in Zurich, Switzerland. In this race, Brazier demonstrated phenomenal finishing speed by overtaking Botswanan runnerNijel Amosin the last 30 meters, who had attempted the race at world record pace.[18]

On October 1, 2019, Brazier won the 800 meter at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar. His time of 1:42.34 was a championships record and a new American record, surpassingJohnny Gray's 1:42.60 from 1985.[19]At the end of the season, Brazier was selected for theJesse Owens Award.[20]

On February 8, 2020, Brazier set theAmericanindoor 800 meter record in a time of 1:44.22. He opened his 2020 season, in a1500 meters2020 world lead of 3:35.85. In August he ran another 2020 world lead in the800 metersof 1:43.15.

On February 13, 2021, Brazier ran 1:44.21 in the 800m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in New York City to lower his own American indoor record in the event by.01.

Personal Bests[edit]

Event Time Date Location Notes
Outdoor 400 m 47.02 9 April 2016 Tempe, Arizona
800 m 1:42.34 1 October 2019 Doha, Qatar AR,NR
1500 m 3:35.85 3 July 2020 Portland, Oregon
Indoor 400 m 46.14 27 February 2022 Spokane, Washington
600 m 1:13.77 24 February 2019 New York City, New York WB
800 m 1:44.21 13 February 2021 New York City, New York AR,NR
1000 m 2:21.79 11 February 2017 New York City, New York
Mile 3:59.30 9 December 2017 College Station, Texas

Personal life[edit]

Brazier has been in a relationship withAlly Watt;however, they broke up sometime in early 2020s.[21]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^"American collegiate record" refers to the best collegiate indoor mark by an American athlete, Derek Peterson's 1:45.88; Brazier missedPaul Ereng's overall NCAA indoor record (1:44.84) by more than a second.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^abIAAF."Donavan BRAZIER – Athlete Profile".
  2. ^abHollobaugh, Jeff (May 27, 2015)."Brazier not done shocking the track world".RunMichigan.com.RetrievedJune 22,2016.
  3. ^ab"Only the Start".SPIKES.January 26, 2016.RetrievedJune 22,2016.
  4. ^abHollobaugh, Jeff (January 21, 2016)."Brazier's Big Breakthrough".Track & Field News.RetrievedJune 22,2016.
  5. ^"2015 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon".USATF.Archived fromthe originalon February 12, 2019.RetrievedNovember 29,2016.
  6. ^"USATF Junior Outdoor Championships to select 2015 Pan Am Junior team".USATF.RetrievedNovember 29,2016.
  7. ^"Collegiate Indoor Records—Men".Track & Field News.Archived fromthe originalon March 5, 2017.RetrievedJune 22,2016.
  8. ^abDonavan BrazieratTilastopaja(registration required)
  9. ^abcGretschel, Johanna (June 9, 2016)."Watch Donavan Brazier Run No. 2 All-Time 800m for U.S. Junior".MileSplit.RetrievedJune 22,2016.
  10. ^Dennehy, Cathal; Mulkeen, Jon (June 11, 2016)."Lawson and Brazier rewrite history at NCAA Championships".International Association of Athletics Federations(IAAF).RetrievedJune 22,2016.
  11. ^"Collegiate Records—Men".Track and Field News.Archived fromthe originalon March 5, 2017.RetrievedNovember 29,2016.
  12. ^"IAAF U20 OUTDOOR 2016 800 METRES MEN".IAAF.RetrievedNovember 29,2016.
  13. ^"Watch: Texas A&M's Donavan Brazier breaks Jim Ryun's NCAA record".Sports Illustrated.RetrievedNovember 29,2016.
  14. ^"Texas A&M freshman Donavan Brazier decides to pursue professional career".Texas A&M University. June 21, 2016.RetrievedJune 22,2016.
  15. ^"Donavan Brazier Signs Endorsement Agreement with Nike".Global Athletics & Marketing. June 28, 2016.RetrievedJune 29,2016.
  16. ^"2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Results – Track & Field – 6/30/2016 to 7/10/2016 Eugene, Oregon".USATF.July 10, 2016. Archived fromthe originalon July 15, 2016.RetrievedNovember 29,2016.
  17. ^"Donavan Brazier returns to college coach, Alleyne Francique".runblogrun. October 24, 2016.RetrievedNovember 29,2016.
  18. ^"Weltklasse Zürich: Men's 800 meters".Diamond League. August 29, 2019.RetrievedAugust 29,2019.
  19. ^"American Open Outdoor Track & Field Records".USATF. July 30, 2019. Archived fromthe originalon October 24, 2021.RetrievedAugust 29,2019.
  20. ^"The year's best athletes, performance and Hall of Fame inductees honored at USATF Night of Legends".USA Track & Field.December 9, 2019.
  21. ^""'Congratulations on making your first world team! I'm so proud you! @DonavanBrazier #dasmyboyfriend'. "".Twitter.RetrievedApril 23,2023.

External links[edit]

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