- Kenenisa Bekele
Kenenisa Bekele (born June 13, 1982, Ethiopia) is an Ethiopian distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 10,000 m and the silver in the 5,000 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He won the Gold in the 10,000 m at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics at Paris completing an Ethiopian sweep with Haile Gebrselassie(2nd) and Sileshi Sihine(3rd), and also won 10,000 m at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics (with Sileshi Sihine(2nd)).
- Veronica Campbell
Veronica Campbell (born May 15, 1982) is a Track and Field sprint athlete, competing internationally for Jamaica and the current Olympic 200m champion. She is a four-time Olympic medalist. Campbell attends the University of Arkansas where she stood out as a sprint star in a program dominated by long-distance runners. In 2000, she was a member of the 4 x 100 meter relay team the won silver at the 2000 Summer Olympics for Jamaica.
- Allyson Felix
Allyson Felix (born November 18, 1985 in Los Angeles, California) is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for the United States in the 200 meters.
- Sherone Simpson
Sherone Simpson (born August 12, 1984) is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for Jamaica. She is an Olympic gold medalist in the 4 x 100 meter relay race from 2004 Olympic Games. At the 2005 World Championships in Athletics she won (together with Daniele Browning, Aleen Bailey and Veronica Campbell) a gold medal.
- Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay (born August 9, 1982) is a top ranked American sprint athlete. Tyson attended Lafayette Senior High School in Lexington, Kentucky where he was a standout track star, winning several state titles. Gay competed collegiately at Barton Community College and the University of Arkansas and in 2004 he won the 100 metres contest at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as well as achieving 10.06 in June. 2005 saw him concentrate more on the 200 metres, …
- Latasha Colander
LaTasha Colander is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for United States. She is a 2004 Olympic Trials 100 m Champion; 2000 Olympic 4x400 m gold medalist; Two-time U.S. 400 m champion (’00, ’01); World Record Holder, 4x200 m relay; 1994 USA Juniors champion (100H); 2nd, 1994 World Junior Champs (100H). She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She missed the 2001 World Championships due to a quadriceps injury.
- Christine Ohuruogu
Christine Ohuruogu (born May 17, 1984) is an English sprinter of Nigerian heritage who specialises in the 400 metres. Ohuruogu was also a netball player but quit in 2003 in order to concentrate on athletics. At the 2005 World Championships in Athletics she won a bronze medal in 4 x 400 metres relay together with Lee McConnell, Donna Fraser and Nicola Sanders.
- Muna Lee
Muna Lee (born October 30, 1981) is an American sprinter. She competed in 200 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics, she made it to the final and tied for last. She won a gold medal in 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics.
- Ladji Doucouré
Ladji Doucouré is a French athlete of Malian and Senegalese descent. He was a football player and decathlete before specializing in hurdling. He competed in the Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 110 metres Hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and finished 8th in the final with a result of 13.76 (he fell just before the finish line). Doucouré won the gold medal at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, beating Liu Xiang and veteran Allen Johnson.
- Sanya Richards
Sanya Richards (born February 26, 1985 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a track and field athlete who competes internationally for the United States. She was a gold medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Richards left Jamaica for the USA at the age of 12 and became a US citizen in May 2002. At St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, she lettered in basketball in high school and is a member of the National Honor Society, …
- Novlene Williams
Novlene Williams (born April 26, 1982 in Saint Ann, Jamaica) is a track and field athlete, competing internationally for the Jamaica. She was a bronze medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. At the 2005 World Championships in Athletics she won (together with Shericka Williams, Ronetta Smith and Lorraine Fenton) a silver medal. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games she won a bronze medal over 400 metres.
- Meseret Defar
Meseret Defar (born November 19, 1983 in Addis Ababa) is a female athlete from Ethiopia. She won gold in the women's 5000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens with a time of 14:45.65. She won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki, losing only to Tirunesh Dibaba. In 2006 she won the World Indoor Championships over 3000 metres, defending her title from the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
- Lauryn Williams
Lauryn Williams (born September 11, 1983 in Rochester, Pennsylvania) is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for the United States. Williams was born and raised in suburban Pittsburgh and attended the University of Miami. Williams is a silver medalist in the 100 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a gold medalist in the 100 meters at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, where she won (together with Angela Daigle, …
- Jaouad Gharib
Jaouad Gharib (born May 22, 1972 in Khenifra) is a Moroccan long-distance athlete competing mainly in the marathon. Winner of the 2003 World Championships and 2005 World Championships over the distance, he is also notable because he only began running seriously at the age of 22. His 2005 retention made him one of only two successive world championship marathon champions.
- Olimpiada Ivanova
Olimpiada Ivanova is a Russian track and field athlete who competes in race walking. She has 4 medals from the major events. Her first gold medal was won in the 2001 Edmonton World Championships, where she beat the rest of the world with the time 1.27:48. A year later, in 2002, she won another gold medal at the 2002 European Championship in Munich. The next major sporting event she took part in was the 2004 Athens Olympics where she finished second.
- Aleen Bailey
Aleen Bailey (born November 25, 1980, in Saint Mary) is a track and field sprint specialist competing internationally for Jamaica. She competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal as a member of the 4 x 100 meter relay team. Bailey graduated from the University of South Carolina where she competed during her Junior and Senior season after transferring from Barton County Community College. In the 2003 NCAA Outdoor track and field championships, …
- Tero Pitkämäki
Tero Pitkämäki is a Finnish javelin thrower. He finished 8th in the javelin contest at the 2004 Summer Olympics with the result 83.01 m and has since developed into one of the world's leading javelin throwers. As of August 2005, he had thrown 91.53 m, hence he was one of the favorites at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, which were held in his home country. However, he was only fourth with a result of 81.27 m. He currently ranks second on the IAAF World Ranking.
- Christine Arron
Christine Arron (born September 13, 1973 in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe) is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for France. She arrived in Metropolitan France in 1990 and first trained with Fernand Urtebise, who also coached 1997 world 400m hurdles champion Stephane Diagana. She had a hip injury which kept her out of the 2001 World Championships. She was named 1998 European Women's Athlete of the Year, …
- Wallace Spearmon
Wallace Spearmon, Jr., (born December 24, 1984) in Chicago, Illinois, USA is a sprint athlete. Spearmon is a graduate of Fayetteville High School and currently attends the University of Arkansas, where he competed collegiately for two seasons before turning pro. While at Arkansas, he won the 200 meter dash (200m) NCAA Outdoor title in 2004 and 2005 as well as the NCAA Indoor 200m title in 2005.
- Avard Moncur
Avard Moncur (born November 2, 1978 in Nassau) is a Bahamian athlete competing in the 400 metres. At the 2005 World Championships he won (together with Nathaniel McKinney, Andrae Williams and Christopher Brown) a silver medal in 4 x 400 metres relay. His personal best time is 44.45 seconds, achieved in July 2001 in Madrid. This is the Bahamian record.
- Andrae Williams
Andrae Williams (born July 12, 1983) is a Bahamian athlete. In the 2004 Olympic Games he was a member of the Bahaman 4 x 400 metres relay team that finished 6th, one second behind the bronze winner. In June 2005, Williams set a new personal best of 44.90 on the 400 metres. He competed in this event at the 2005 World Championships, but was knocked out in the heats. However, together with the 400 m relay team he won a silver medal.
- Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born May 25, 1982) is a Kenyan athlete, winner of 3000 m steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Born in Matira, near Kapsowar, Marakwet District, Ezekiel Kemboi didn't take up athletics until after he left school and won the African Junior Championships in 2001 in spite of falling. In 2002, Kemboi finished second at the Commonwealth Games behind compatriot Stephen Cherono.
- Tonique Williams-Darling
Tonique Williams-Darling (born January 17, 1976) is a Bahamian sprint athlete. She won the gold medal in the 400 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She attended the University of South Carolina and graduated with a degree from the Moore School of Business in 1999. It was her goal to make 2004 her most successful year, and she may have achieved just that. She started the year with a bronze medal at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest, …
- Ryta Turava
Margarita "Ryta" Turava (Belarusian "Рыта Турава, Маргарыта Турава"; Russian "Rita Turova, Рита Турова", born 28 December 1980 in Vitebsk) is an athlete from Belarus, competing in race walking. She came fourth in the 2004 Olympics, and she won a silver medal in the World Championship in Helsinki in 2005. Her sister, Alesya Turava, is also a successful athlete, champion of Belarus in track (1500 metres), …
- Tim Lobinger
Tim Lobinger (born September 3, 1972 in Rheinbach, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German track and field athlete. His discipline is pole vault and he has been an elite competitor since the 1990s. His best results came in 1997 and 1999 when he jumped over 6.00 meters. His best medals so far have been silver at the 1998 European Athletics Championships and the 2006 European Athletics Championships.
- Me'Lisa Barber
Me'Lisa Barber is an American track and field sprint athlete. Barber won her first major international championships gold medal by running the lead leg on Team USA’s winning 4x400 m relay team at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships in Paris. She ran on the 2001 Team USA World University Games gold medal winning 4x400 m relay team with University of South Carolina teammates Demetria Washington, Carolyn Jackson and her twin sister Miki Barber.
- Darrel Brown
Darrel Brown (born October 11, 1984) is a sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago. In the beginning of his career he performed well in World Youth and Junior Championships. The 100 m at the 2003 World Championships saw him finishing second behind surprise winner Kim Collins. In June 2005 he set a new personal best with 9.99, thus becoming one of the few athletes to run below 10 seconds. At the 2005 World Championships, Brown was knocked out in the semi finals with 10.16.
- Michael Frater
Michael Frater (born October 6, 1982 in Manchester, Jamaica) is a Jamaican Sprinter. Frater was knocked out in the semi-finals of the 100m sprint at the 2004 Athens Olympics. A year later, in the 2005 World Championships, he won the silver medal in the 100 Metres with 10.05. He was disqualified in the semi-finals of the 100m sprint because of a false start at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. His personal best of 10.03 was set in Athens on June 14, 2005, …
- Xing Huina
Xing Huina is a Chinese track and field athlete. Xing was born to family of farmers in Weifang, Shandong province. Standing 1.66 m tall and weighing 50 kg (110 lb), she began training at Weifang City Sport School, coached by Chi Yuzhai. She joined the Shandong Sport Technology Institute in 1999, coached by Yin Yanqin. She was selected into national team in 2002 after running 4:10.43 in 1500 m and 14:56.15 in 5000 m in 2001 Chinese National Games.
- Chaunte Howard
Chaunte Howard (born January 12, 1984 in Templeton, California) is an American athlete competing in the high jump. In August 2005 she won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics with a new PB of two meters. She also attended Georgia Institute of Technology from 2002 to 2004.
- Ana Guevara
Ana Gabriela Guevara Espinoza (born March 4, 1977) is a Mexican track and field athlete, specializing in the 400 meters. Guevara was born in Nogales, Sonora. She won her first gold medal in the 1999 Pan American Games in Canada. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics she came in 5th place. After that she won 28 consecutive international races before a second-place finish in Rome in July 2004. On August 27, 2003, she set her personal record for the 400m, …
- Kim Collins
Kim Collins (born April 5, 1976) is a sprinter from Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 2003, he became the World Champion in the 100 m. Collins made his debut at major championship at the 1997 World Championships, where he failed to qualify for the second round in the 100 m. He improved quickly, and at the 2000 Summer Olympics, he became the first athlete from his tiny nation to qualify for an Olympic final, finishing 7th in the 100 m. The next year, …
- Brandon Simpson
Brandon Simpson (born September 6, 1981 in Florida, USA) is a sprinter who represents Bahrain, having previously represented Jamaica. He has won a bronze medal in 4 x 400 metres relay at three world championships; 2001, 2003 and 2005. He finished 6th in the individual 400 metres contest in 2005, and 5th at the 2004 Olympics.
- Marc Burns
Marc Burns (born January 7 1983) is an athlete from Trinidad and Tobago specializing in the 100 metres and the 4x100 metres. Participating in the 2004 Summer Olympics, he was disqualified from his 100 metres heat, thus failing to make it through to the second round. Marc Burns placed second in the men's 100 metres dash at the Bislett Games IAAF Golden League meet in Oslo in July 2005, in preparation for the 2005 World Championships in Athletics.
- Andrus Värnik
Andrus Värnik is an Estonian javelin thrower. 87,83, his personal best set in 2003, is also the Estonian record. Värnik won his first international medal, a silver medal, in the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, throwing 85.17. The next year he finished 6th in the javelin contest at the Olympic Games with the result 83.25. With 87.17 he won a surprise gold medal at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics ahead of Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen, …
- Angela Daigle
Angela Daigle (born May 28, 1976) is an American sprinter. Together with Muna Lee, Me'Lisa Barber and Lauryn Williams she won a gold medal in 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics.
- Rens Blom
Rens Blom (born March 1, 1977 in Munstergeleen) is a Dutch athlete competing in pole vault. He achieved the result of 5.75 as early as in 2000, but five years passed without much progression. However, on June 8, 2004 in Zaragoza he set the current Dutch record with 5.81. In 2005, he showed stability as he cleared 5.80 early in May. At the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, he once again achieved 5.80 and won a surprising gold medal.
- Nathaniel McKinney
Nathaniel McKinney (born January 19, 1982) is a Bahamian athlete competing mainly in the 4x400 m relay. At the 2004 Olympic Games his relay team finished sixth. At the 2005 World Championships in Athletics he together with Avard Moncur, Andrae Williams and Christopher Brown won a silver medal. Nathaniel is a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, and attended Saint Augustine's College in Raleigh, NC.
- Daniele Browning
Daniele Browning (born August 29, 1981) is a Jamaican sprinter. Together with Sherone Simpson, Aleen Bailey and Veronica Campbell she won a silver medal in 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. In 2006 the relay team won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
- Monika Pyrek
Monika Pyrek (born August 11, 1980 in Gdynia) is a Polish athlete competing in pole vault. In the 2004 Olympics, she placed fourth with 4.55 metres. She won a silver medal in the 2005 World Championships in Athletics with the result 4.60 m. She also won the silver medal at the 2006 European Athletics Championships. Her personal best is 4.76 metres, achieved in Doniesk in February 2006