Antonio McKay
Encyclopedia
Antonio McKay Sr. (born February 9, 1964 in Atlanta, Georgia
) is a former track and field
athlete who specialized in the 400 meters.
. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, he won the bronze medal
in the 400 m behind Alonzo Babers
and Gabriel Tiacoh
. He teamed up with Babers in the 4×400-meter relay event and he led the team home to victory, winning his first Olympic gold medal
.
He won 400 m gold medals at the 1986 Goodwill Games
in Moscow
and at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships
in Indianapolis
. He ran at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics
, but was eliminated in the quarter-finals. However, he managed to win a gold medal in the relay with his compatriots Danny Everett
, Roddie Haley and Butch Reynolds
. He ran in the relay heats at the 1988 Summer Olympics
and received a gold medal for his contribution as the American runners won in the final. He retained his 400 m indoor title at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
, setting a championship record of 45.59 seconds in the process.
He failed a doping test in 1990 for the banned stimulant phenylpropanolamine
. After initially being banned for three months, the ban was overturned on the defense that neither McKay nor the doctor who had prescribed him a flu remedy where aware that the banned substance was contained in the medicine. However, the rules set by the The Athletics Congress specifically stated that ignorance was not a valid defense – a situation which led Frank Greenburg (the national body's president) to remark "I can't understand how they overturned the decision to suspend".
His final international medal came at the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships
, where he won the silver
in the men's relay. McKay retired from competition around 1994. He remains the joint United States
and Panamerican record holder in the rarely competed indoor 4×200 m relay, which he set in 1991 in Glasgow
, Scotland alongside Thomas Jefferson
, Raymond Pierre
and Kevin Little
.
He now works as a track coach at Dunwoody High School
, a public high school in Dunwoody, Georgia
. Following the murder of McKay's sister, he has raised her two sons.
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...
) is a former 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 specialized in the 400 meters.
Career
He won All-American honours competing for Georgia Tech and was the NCAA champion both indoors and outdoors in 1984. He won at the United States Olympic Track Trials thus qualifying for the 1984 US Olympic TeamUnited States at the 1984 Summer Olympics
The United States was the host nation of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. It was the nineteenth time that Team USA participated, having boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics...
. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, he won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the 400 m behind Alonzo Babers
Alonzo Babers
Alonzo C. Babers is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, in the 400 m and the 4x400 m relay....
and Gabriel Tiacoh
Gabriel Tiacoh
Gabriel Tiacoh was a sprinter from Côte d'Ivoire who specialised in the 400 metres. He is best known for winning his nation's sole Olympic medal thus far, in the 400 meters in 1984....
. He teamed up with Babers in the 4×400-meter relay event and he led the team home to victory, winning his first Olympic gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
.
He won 400 m gold medals at the 1986 Goodwill Games
Athletics at the 1986 Goodwill Games
At the 1986 Goodwill Games, the athletics competition was held in July 1986 at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Soviet Union. A total of 42 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 19 by female athletes. Keeping in line with the tone of the competition, the United States and Soviet Union were...
in 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...
and at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 1st IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in Indianapolis, United States from March 6 to March 8, 1987. The championship had previously been known as the World Indoor Games, which were held once before changing the name....
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. He ran at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics
1987 World Championships in Athletics
The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987.-Track:1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995...
, but was eliminated in the quarter-finals. However, he managed to win a gold medal in the relay with his compatriots Danny Everett
Danny Everett
Daniel Joseph Everett is a 400 metre runner from the United States. As a 21-year-old he participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the individual event and a gold medal with the United States 4x400 m relay...
, Roddie Haley and Butch Reynolds
Butch Reynolds
Harry "Butch" Reynolds is an American former track and field athlete who competed in the 400 meter dash. He held the world record for the event for eleven years with his personal best time of 43.29 seconds set in 1988. That year he was the silver medalist at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and a...
. He ran in the relay heats at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul a total number of 42 events in athletics were contested: 24 by men and 18 by women. There were a total number of 1617 participating athletes from 149 countries.-Men's events:...
and received a gold medal for his contribution as the American runners won in the final. He retained his 400 m indoor title at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2nd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Budapest Sportcsarnok in Budapest, Hungary from March 3 to March 5, 1989. There were a total number of 373 participating athletes from 62 countries.-Men:1985 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1993...
, setting a championship record of 45.59 seconds in the process.
He failed a doping test in 1990 for the banned stimulant phenylpropanolamine
Phenylpropanolamine
Phenylpropanolamine , also known as the stereoisomers norephedrine and norpseudoephedrine, is a psychoactive drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes which is used as a stimulant, decongestant, and anorectic agent. It is commonly used in prescription and over-the-counter cough...
. After initially being banned for three months, the ban was overturned on the defense that neither McKay nor the doctor who had prescribed him a flu remedy where aware that the banned substance was contained in the medicine. However, the rules set by the The Athletics Congress specifically stated that ignorance was not a valid defense – a situation which led Frank Greenburg (the national body's president) to remark "I can't understand how they overturned the decision to suspend".
His final international medal came at the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 3rd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes San Pablo in Seville, Spain from March 8 to March 10, 1991. It was the first Indoor Championships to include women's triple jump, albeit as a non-championship event...
, where he won the silver
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the men's relay. McKay retired from competition around 1994. He remains the joint United States
United States records in track and field
The following are the national records in track & field in the United States maintained by USA Track & Field .Key:-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to a longer distanceA = affected by altitude# = not officially ratified by IAAF...
and Panamerican record holder in the rarely competed indoor 4×200 m relay, which he set in 1991 in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland alongside Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (athlete)
Thomas Jefferson is a former American athlete who competed mainly in the 200 meters.He competed for the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, United States in the 200 metres where he won the bronze medal....
, Raymond Pierre
Raymond Pierre
Raymond Pierre is a former American track and field athlete, who competed in the sprinting events during his career. He is best known for winning the men's 400-meter dash event at the 1987 Pan American Games....
and Kevin Little
Kevin Little
Kevin Little is a former American athlete, who specialized in sprints. He won the 200 meter race in the 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Paris, France. He won bronze in the same event in the 1989, 1993, and 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships.Little graduated from Ankeny High School in 1986...
.
He now works as a track coach at Dunwoody High School
Dunwoody High School
Dunwoody High School is a public high school in Dunwoody, an incorporated city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States and is operated by the DeKalb County School System...
, a public high school in Dunwoody, Georgia
Dunwoody, Georgia
Dunwoody is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. It is a northern suburb of Atlanta. Dunwoody became incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008...
. Following the murder of McKay's sister, he has raised her two sons.
Achievements
- 1984 Indoor World Record Holder,
- 1984 NCAA Indoor Champion,
- 1984 NCAA Outdoor Champion,
- 1984 Olympic Trials Champion,
- 1984 Olympic – Gold & Bronze Medalist,
- 1985 Indoor USA Track and Field Champion,
- 1986 Goodwill Games – Gold Medalist,
- 1987 Indoor USA Track & Field Champion,
- 1987 Indoor World Record Holder,
- 1988 Indoor USA Track & Field Champion,
- 1989 World Indoor Championships – Gold Medalist,
- 1990 Indoor USA Track & Field Champion,
- 1991 Indoor World Championships – Silver Medalist,
- 1993 Indoor USA Track & Field Champion,