Alvin Harrison is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 athlete. He won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay

4 x 400 metres relay

The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...

 at both the 1996

1996 Summer Olympics

The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....

 and 2000 Summer Olympics

2000 Summer Olympics

The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...

 and a silver medal in the 400 metres

400 metres

The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

 at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He is the twin brother of fellow Olympic medalist Calvin Harrison

Calvin Harrison

Calvin Harrison is an American athlete. He won a gold medal in the Men's 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He is the twin brother of fellow Olympic medalist Alvin Harrison...

. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Alvin Harrison and Calvin Harrison made history by becoming the first twins ever to compete and win Olympic gold medals together on the same relay team since the inception of the modern Olympic Games

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

. In the 4 x 400 m relay, Alvin ran the first leg and Calvin ran the third leg. In 2008, the 2000 Sydney Olympics 4 x 400 metres relay US team was stripped of their medals after teammate Antonio Pettigrew

Antonio Pettigrew

Antonio Pettigrew was an American sprinter who specialized in the 400 meters. He was born in Macon, Georgia....

 admitted that he had used performance-enhancing drugs.

Alvin Harrison did not compete in the 2004 Olympics due to circumstantial evidence of using a banned substance. In October 2004, Harrison agreed to a four-year suspension with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Harrison also authored the book Go to Your Destiny, which debuted on The Oprah Winfrey Show

The Oprah Winfrey Show

The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....

in 2001. Alvin Harrison was featured in the United Way of America public service announcement "Performance" commercial.

After his suspension expired in late 2008, Harrison enjoyed a late career renaissance via a transfer of allegiance to the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

 in 2009. He made the move following discussion with his wife and his track colleague Félix Sánchez

Felix Sanchez

Félix Sánchez —nicknamed Super Felix, the Invincible and the Dictator— is a track and field athlete from New York City, United States who competes for The Dominican Republic...

, both of whom are Dominican. He competed for his new country at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics

2009 World Championships in Athletics

The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....

, running in the heats of the 400 m race

2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres

The men's 400 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 18, 19 and 21 August.The United States had a strong tradition in the event, with an American topping the Olympic 400 m podium every time since the 1988 Olympics. Similar to the 2007 World...

. He made his second world appearance soon after and helped the Dominican 4×400-meter relay team to fourth place at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

Personal bests

Date	Event	Venue	Time
March 28, 1996	200 m	Fresno Fresno Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	20.23
June 19, 1996	400 m	Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...	44.09

Achievements

1996	1996 Summer Olympics 1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....	Atlanta, Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...	1st	4x400 m Relay
1998	IAAF Golden League / Grand Prix Final	Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...	6th	400 m
2000	2000 Olympic Games	Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	2nd	400 m
2000	U.S. Olympic Trials	Sacramento Sacramento, California Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	2nd	400 m

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