Xavier Carter
Encyclopedia
Xavier Carter is an American
professional track and field
athlete. He attended Louisiana State University
and was a star on the track and field team as well a member of the football
team. Prior to LSU, Xavier Carter graduated from Palm Bay Senior High School
in Melbourne, FL. He is the sixth fastest sprinter in the 200 meters
event with a personal best of 19.63 seconds.
, 200 meters
and 400 meters
in back-to-back years (2003 and 2004), becoming the only athlete in Florida history to do so. His 45.44 from 2004 remains as the FHSAA (Florida High School) record. During both his junior and senior years, Carter was named athlete of the year for USA Track and Field
, Nike, Gatorade and National High School Coaches Association, Track and Field. After his high school career, Carter played in the 2004 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
and was named to USA Today's All-USA team
. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com
, Carter was listed as the No. 5 wide receiver prospect in the nation. He committed to Louisiana State University
.
During Carter's junior year in high school he ran 10.38 seconds in the 100 m sprint, 20.69 seconds in the 200 m sprint and 45.88 seconds in the 400 meters, the best in the United States in that event for 2003. As a senior Carter ran 10.29 s the 100 m sprint, 20.49 s in the 200 m sprint, and 45.44 s in the 400 m. He also set the national high school record in the indoor 200 m, with a time of 20.69 s, thus becoming the first United States high school athlete to run under 21 seconds in that event. At the 2005 NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
he finished second in the 200 m finals with a time of 20.08 s.
At the same event the following year, Carter won national titles in four events and became the first person to do so since Jesse Owens
accomplished the feat twice in 1935 and 1936. He was also the first athlete ever to win both the 100 m and 400 m events on the same day. He has become known as X-Man due to the first letter of his name as well as his signature victory salute of crossing his forearms to make an X.
) of Total Sports Management. On July 28, 2006 he announced a deal with Nike
that will run through to the 2012 Summer Olympics
in London
.
On July 11, 2006, at the Grand Prix in Lausanne
, Switzerland
, Carter ran what was then the second fastest 200 m race ever, recording a time of 19.63 s. As of September 2011, that time makes him the sixth fastest man at the 200 metre dash ever after Usain Bolt
, Yohan Blake
, Michael Johnson
, Walter Dix
and Tyson Gay
.
Carter's 2007 season was marred by a knee injury and it was not until the beginning of the 2008 athletics season that he fully recovered. Competing in his first 400 m race of the season, Carter posted a time of 44.70 s at the Reebok Grand Prix
, breaking Kerron Clement
's track record by one hundredth of a second. However, he dismissed the importance of the victory, saying that the track meets were only a way of preparing for the 2008 Olympic Trials.
Carter entered for the 100 and 200 meters events at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon
. Carter set a new 100 m personal best in the heats with a time of 10 seconds. His performances were not sufficient for a place in the Olympic team however, as he finished in last place in the 100 m final.
He also qualified for the final of the 200 meters trials but did not start, missing out on the opportunity to run at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional 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. He attended Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
and was a star on the track and field team as well a member of the football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team. Prior to LSU, Xavier Carter graduated from Palm Bay Senior High School
Palm Bay Senior High School
Palm Bay Senior High School is a public high school located in Melbourne, Florida, north of the boundary of Palm Bay, Florida. It is part of the Brevard County School District.- Campus :...
in Melbourne, FL. He is the sixth fastest sprinter in the 200 meters
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...
event with a personal best of 19.63 seconds.
High school career
During his time in high school, Carter became a star track athlete and football player. His high school track and field career included nine Florida state titles, ten regional, district and county crowns and nine Cape Coast Conference titles. Carter won state titles in the 100 meters100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
, 200 meters
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...
and 400 meters
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...
in back-to-back years (2003 and 2004), becoming the only athlete in Florida history to do so. His 45.44 from 2004 remains as the FHSAA (Florida High School) record. During both his junior and senior years, Carter was named athlete of the year for USA Track and Field
USA Track and Field
USA Track & Field is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking...
, Nike, Gatorade and National High School Coaches Association, Track and Field. After his high school career, Carter played in the 2004 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
and was named to USA Today's All-USA team
USA Today All-USA high school football team
Each year, USA Today, an American newspaper, awards outstanding high-school American football players with a place on its All-USA High School Football Team. The newspaper names athletes whom it believes to be the best football players from high schools around the United States...
. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, Carter was listed as the No. 5 wide receiver prospect in the nation. He committed to Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
.
During Carter's junior year in high school he ran 10.38 seconds in the 100 m sprint, 20.69 seconds in the 200 m sprint and 45.88 seconds in the 400 meters, the best in the United States in that event for 2003. As a senior Carter ran 10.29 s the 100 m sprint, 20.49 s in the 200 m sprint, and 45.44 s in the 400 m. He also set the national high school record in the indoor 200 m, with a time of 20.69 s, thus becoming the first United States high school athlete to run under 21 seconds in that event. At the 2005 NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
he finished second in the 200 m finals with a time of 20.08 s.
At the same event the following year, Carter won national titles in four events and became the first person to do so since Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
accomplished the feat twice in 1935 and 1936. He was also the first athlete ever to win both the 100 m and 400 m events on the same day. He has become known as X-Man due to the first letter of his name as well as his signature victory salute of crossing his forearms to make an X.
Professional career
Shortly after his success at the NCAA championships he announced that he would forego his remaining two years of college eligibility in both track and football to join the professional track and field circuit. He is now represented by the sports agent Mark Block (coach and husband of the former 100 m world champion, Zhanna Pintusevich-BlockZhanna Pintusevich-Block
Zhanna Pintusevich-Block is a sprinter who has competed in the Olympic Games....
) of Total Sports Management. On July 28, 2006 he announced a deal with Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
that will run through to the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
On July 11, 2006, at the Grand Prix in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Carter ran what was then the second fastest 200 m race ever, recording a time of 19.63 s. As of September 2011, that time makes him the sixth fastest man at the 200 metre dash ever after Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
, Yohan Blake
Yohan Blake
Yohan Blake is a Jamaican sprinter and the current 100 metre World Champion. He holds the national junior record for the 100 metres, and tied Seun Ogunkoya as the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier...
, Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (athlete)
Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
, Walter Dix
Walter Dix
Walter Dix is an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He is the fourth fastest 200 m runner ever with a best of 19.53 seconds, and has broken the 10-second barrier in the 100 m with a best of 9.88 seconds.Dix was a highly successful amateur...
and Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay is an American track and field sprinter. His primary events are the 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal bests establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 meters and the fifth fastest athlete in the history of the 200 meters, with times of 9.69 and...
.
Carter's 2007 season was marred by a knee injury and it was not until the beginning of the 2008 athletics season that he fully recovered. Competing in his first 400 m race of the season, Carter posted a time of 44.70 s at the Reebok Grand Prix
Reebok Grand Prix
The Adidas Grand Prix, formerly the Reebok Grand Prix, is an annual athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
, breaking Kerron Clement
Kerron Clement
Kerron Stephon Clement is Trinidadian-born track and field athlete who represents the United States and specializes in the 400-meter hurdles...
's track record by one hundredth of a second. However, he dismissed the importance of the victory, saying that the track meets were only a way of preparing for the 2008 Olympic Trials.
Carter entered for the 100 and 200 meters events at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. Carter set a new 100 m personal best in the heats with a time of 10 seconds. His performances were not sufficient for a place in the Olympic team however, as he finished in last place in the 100 m final.
He also qualified for the final of the 200 meters trials but did not start, missing out on the opportunity to run at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
Personal life
Carter was arrested on September 7, 2008 for allegedly carrying a concealed firearm. Police stopped the sprinter in Gainesville, FL as they judged him to be playing his car stereo too loudly and upon approaching his vehicle they allegedly saw a concealed, loaded handgun. Carter was released the following day after agreeing to appear in court for a third-degree felony charge.Personal bests
| Event | Time (seconds) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 meters 60 meters The 60 meter band or 5 MHz band is a relatively new amateur radio allocation and originally only available in a few countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Ireland and Iceland... |
6.74 | Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
February 26, 2005 |
| 100 meters | 10.00 | Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
June 28, 2008 |
| 200 meters | 19.63 | Lausanne Lausanne Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
July 11, 2006 |
| 400 meters | 44.53 | Sacramento, California 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,... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
June 10, 2006 |
- All information from IAAF Profile
External links
- USATF profile for Xavier Carter (Athlete of the week 2006)
- "Look out for X-Man Carter" Article by Steve CramSteve CramStephen "Steve" Cram MBE is a British retired athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", Cram set world records in the 1500 metres, 2000 metres and the mile during a...
- Track & Field Bio at LSUSports
- Official website (archived version)