Andre Phillips
Encyclopedia
André Lamar Phillips (born September 5, 1959, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
) is a retired American
Track and Field
athlete who is best known for winning the 400 metres hurdles
gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games
.
Phillips spent most of his career in the in the shadow of his idol, Edwin Moses
, frequently as runner up during Moses' unequaled winning streak. He managed to beat him once, at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul
. In 1983, Phillips finished fifth in the 400 m hurdles at the inaugural World Athletics Championships
. In 1985, in absence of Moses, Phillips won his only US National Championship title, and also won the IAAF World Cup. In 1988, Phillips lost to Moses at the Olympic trials, but showed a good pace at Olympics, winning his heat and semifinal. In the final, Phillips ran his personal best 47.19 to win a gold medal, beating second-place Amadou Dia Ba
from Senegal
by 0.04 seconds. The two times currently still rank them as the #5 and #6 performers of all time. Although Moses ran his fastest Olympic final, he finished only third in a time of 47.56.
In 2009, Phillips was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame
.
Phillips attended at University of California, Los Angeles
, and won the 400 m hurdles at the NCAA
championships in 1981. Prior to that, he attended Silver Creek High School
in San Jose, California
, where won the CIF California State Meet
in the 300 low hurdles in 1977. in 36.43. He continues to hold the 300 IH (Intermediate Hurdles) hurdle record at Silver Creek at 37.1 sec. He joins 1976 4x100 metres relay Gold medalist, and individual 200 metres
Silver medalist Millard Hampton
in one of the rare instances (the school claims only eight exist) of two unrelated Olympic Gold Medalists coming from the same high school. Silver Creek continues to host the "Hamption Phillips Classic" named in their honor.
Phillips is a former teacher at Stagg High School
, and a current Assistant Principal at Franklin High School
in Stockton, California
.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Track and Field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who is best known for winning the 400 metres hurdles
400 metres hurdles
The 400 metres hurdles is an Olympic athletics event in track and field. On a standard outdoor track 400 metres is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly...
gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
.
Phillips spent most of his career in the in the shadow of his idol, Edwin Moses
Edwin Moses
Edwin Corley Moses is an American track and field athlete who won gold medals in the 400 metre hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 107 consecutive finals and set the world record in his event four times...
, frequently as runner up during Moses' unequaled winning streak. He managed to beat him once, at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. In 1983, Phillips finished fifth in the 400 m hurdles at the inaugural World Athletics Championships
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
. In 1985, in absence of Moses, Phillips won his only US National Championship title, and also won the IAAF World Cup. In 1988, Phillips lost to Moses at the Olympic trials, but showed a good pace at Olympics, winning his heat and semifinal. In the final, Phillips ran his personal best 47.19 to win a gold medal, beating second-place Amadou Dia Ba
Amadou Dia Ba
El Hadj Amadou Dia Ba is a retired Senegalese athlete who competed in 400 metres hurdles. He won the 1988 Olympic silver medal is this event with a personal best time of 47.23s. He competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics for his native country, starting in 1984.-Achievements:-External links:...
from Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
by 0.04 seconds. The two times currently still rank them as the #5 and #6 performers of all time. Although Moses ran his fastest Olympic final, he finished only third in a time of 47.56.
In 2009, Phillips was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame
National Track and Field Hall of Fame
The National Track and Field Hall of Fame located within the Armory Foundation at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, between 168th and 169th Streets, in Washington Heights, in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field...
.
Phillips attended at University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, and won the 400 m hurdles at the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
championships in 1981. Prior to that, he attended Silver Creek High School
Silver Creek High School (San Jose, California)
Silver Creek High School is a high school located in San Jose, California which is operated by the East Side Union High School District. It is a California Distinguished School.-Code Red:...
in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, where won the CIF California State Meet
CIF California State Meet
The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a direct qualification path that can reach the state meet...
in the 300 low hurdles in 1977. in 36.43. He continues to hold the 300 IH (Intermediate Hurdles) hurdle record at Silver Creek at 37.1 sec. He joins 1976 4x100 metres relay Gold medalist, and individual 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
Silver medalist Millard Hampton
Millard Hampton
Millard Frank Hampton, Jr. is a former American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay and the individual silver medal in the 200 meters at the 1976 Summer Olympics....
in one of the rare instances (the school claims only eight exist) of two unrelated Olympic Gold Medalists coming from the same high school. Silver Creek continues to host the "Hamption Phillips Classic" named in their honor.
Phillips is a former teacher at Stagg High School
Stagg High School (Stockton, California)
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School or Stagg is a public four-year high school located at 1621 Brookside Road in Stockton, CA. It is part of the Stockton Unified School District...
, and a current Assistant Principal at Franklin High School
Franklin High School (Stockton, California)
Benjamin Franklin Senior High School is located at 300 N. Gertrude Ave. in Stockton, California. Their school mascot is the yellow jacket. They are one of the many schools that has the I.B...
in Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
.