View source for Dennis Mitchell

{{Short description|American track and field athlete and coach}}
{{other people}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor    = 
| name           = Dennis Mitchell
| image          = <!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people -- see [[WP:NONFREE]]. -->
| imagesize      = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels. -->
| caption        = 
| birth_name     = 
| fullname       = Dennis Allen Mitchell
| nickname       = 
| national_team  = {{USA}}
| residence      = 
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1966|2|20|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Havelock, North Carolina]], U.S.
| death_date     = 
| death_place    = 
| height         = {{convert|5|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
| weight         = {{convert|154|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| website        = 
| country        = 
| sport          = [[Track and field]]
| event          = [[100 meters]]
| collegeteam    = [[Florida Gators track and field|University of Florida]]
| club           = 
| team           = 
| turnedpro      = 
| coach          = 
| retired        = 
| coaching       = 
| worlds         = 
| regionals      = 
| nationals      = 
| olympics       = 
| highestranking = 
| pb             = '''100 m&nbsp;''': 9.91<br>
'''200 m&nbsp;''': 20.09
| show-medals    = yes
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Men's track and field}}
{{MedalCountry | the United States}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]] | [[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta]] | [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalBronze | 1992 Barcelona | [[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1991 World Championships in Athletics|1991 Tokyo]]|[[1991 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1993 World Championships in Athletics|1993 Stuttgart]]|[[1993 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalBronze | 1991 Tokyo|[[1991 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{MedalBronze | 1993 Stuttgart | [[1993 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
}}

'''Dennis Allen Mitchell''' (born February 20, 1966) is an American former college and international [[track and field]] [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]], who was a member of the [[gold medal]]-winning team in the [[4 × 100 metres relay]] race at the [[1992 Summer Olympics]].

==Athletics career==
Mitchell was born in [[Havelock, North Carolina]]. Raised in [[Winslow Township, New Jersey]], he graduated in 1984 from [[Edgewood Regional High School]].<ref>Mitchell, John N. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/courier-post-dennis-mitchell-of-winslow/161486434/ "Olympian Mitchell honored"], ''[[Courier-Post]]'', October 4, 1992. Accessed December 24, 2024, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Dennis Mitchell has spent most of his life running faster than most would ever dream possible. But Mitchell, who Saturday returned to the Edgewood track (paved since his 1984 graduation) that gave birth to his career, slowed down long enough to pass on some advice to today's students at his alma mater. 'I like to stress to the kids of today, in these schools and 1 neighborhoods, that they have to stay straight,' said Mitchell, in town to be honored by Winslow Township and to receive a proclamation from Mayor Al Brown proclaiming Saturday Dennis Mitchell Day."</ref>

He received an athletic scholarship to attend the [[University of Florida]] in Gainesville, Florida, where he ran for the [[Florida Gators track and field]] team in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) and [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) competition from 1986 to 1989. At Florida, Mitchell was coached by Joe Walker. Mitchell placed fourth in the [[100 metres|100 meters race]] at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]] and missed a probable gold medal in the 4 × 100 meters relay race, because the American team was disqualified in the early heats, after the baton pass between teammates [[Calvin Smith]] and [[Lee McNeill]] was completed outside the exchange zone. In 1989, Mitchell won the NCAA championships in [[200 metres|200 meters race]], and he was inducted into the [[List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members|University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame]] as a "Gator Great" in 2005.<ref>F Club, Hall of Fame, [http://www.gatorfclub.org/hall-of-fame/greats Gator Greats]. Retrieved December 18, 2014.</ref><ref>"[http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=7459 Nine Hall of Fame Inductees Announced] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004070827/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=7459 |date=2012-10-04 }}," GatorZone.com (September 30, 2004). Retrieved July 22, 2011.</ref>

In 1991, just a month before the [[1991 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]], Mitchell set his first world record in the 4 × 100 meters relay of 37.67 at [[Zürich]]. At the World Championships, Mitchell was again a member of the American 4 × 100 meters relay team, in which he set a new world record of 37.50 in the final. Mitchell also won a [[bronze medal]] in the individual 100 meters race, just 0.01 seconds shy of the world record.

In 1992, Mitchell won his first United States National Championships title in the 100 meters (he repeated this victory in 1994 and 1996). At the [[Barcelona]] [[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics|Olympics]], Mitchell ran his third world record in 4 × 100 meters relay of 37.40 and won again a bronze medal in the 100 meters race.

At the [[1993 World Championships in Athletics|1993 World Championships]], Mitchell won his third bronze at the international championships in individual 100 meters and his third gold in relay event with a world record, as this time the American team equaled their own world record of 37.40.

Mitchell won a gold medal in 100 meters at the [[1994 Goodwill Games]], but injured himself in the heats of 100 -meters at the [[1995 World Championships in Athletics|1995 World Championships]]. At the [[1996 Summer Olympics]], Mitchell was fourth in 100-meters and won a [[silver medal]] as a member of the second-place U.S. 4 × 100-meters relay team.

His personal best for the 100 metres was 9.91 seconds, set in Tokyo on 25 August 1991 in the World Athletics Championships final.

==Personal life==
Mitchell is married to [[Damu Cherry|Damu Cherry-Mitchell]], an Olympian in the 100-meter hurdles, and has four children. He coaches his own club, Star Athletics, in Montverde, Florida. He has trained world class athletes including [[Sha'Carri Richardson]], [[Kenny Bednarek]], [[Justin Gatlin]], [[Aaron Brown (sprinter)|Aaron Brown]], [[Melissa Jefferson-Wooden]], [[Javianne Oliver]], and [[Twanisha Terry]], among others.

One of his children, Malachi, plays for the [[Savannah Bananas]] under the pseudonym “Flash Tha Kid”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flash Tha Kid |url=https://thesavannahbananas.com/cast/flash/ |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Savannah Bananas |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2018 Baseball Roster |url= https://famuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/malachi-mitchell/2241 |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=FAMU Athletics|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Doping history==
In 1998, Mitchell was banned by [[International Association of Athletics Federations]] for two years after a test showed high levels of [[testosterone (medication)|testosterone]]. They did not accept his defense of "five bottles of beer and sex with his wife at least four times... it was her birthday, the lady deserved a treat."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/observer/osm/story/0,6903,1270863,00.html | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=The most corrupt race ever}}</ref> Mitchell made his final international appearance at the [[2001 World Championships in Athletics|2001 World Championships]], where his team finished first in the 4 × 100 meters relay, but was subsequently disqualified because of [[BALCO]] scandal involvement by a teammate.

On May 1, 2008, it was announced that the U.S. government, in its trial against [[Trevor Graham]], would have Mitchell, as well as [[Antonio Pettigrew]] as witnesses, with Mitchell to testify that Graham injected him with [[Growth hormone|human growth hormone]].<ref name="government-witness">{{cite news | first=Duff | last=Wilson| title=Gold Medalist Listed as Banned-Drug User | date=3 May 2008| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| url =https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/sports/othersports/03track.html}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Olympics}}
* [[Florida Gators]]
* [[List of Olympic medalists in athletics (men)]]
* [[List of University of Florida Olympians]]
*[[List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.mastersathletics.net/fileadmin/html/Rankings/All_Time/100metresmen.htm Masters T&F 100 metres Dash All-Time Rankings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225112711/http://www.mastersathletics.net/fileadmin/html/Rankings/All_Time/100metresmen.htm |date=2021-02-25 }} 10.11 (2001)
* [http://www.mastersathletics.net/fileadmin/html/Rankings/All_Time/200metresmen.htm Masters T&F 200 metres Dash All-Time Rankings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917173609/http://www.mastersathletics.net/fileadmin/html/Rankings/All_Time/200metresmen.htm |date=2018-09-17 }} 20.45 (2001)

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box|title=[[Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award|Men's Track & Field ESPY Award]]|before=[[Michael Johnson (athlete)|Michael Johnson]]|after=[[Michael Johnson (athlete)|Michael Johnson]]|years=1995}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Men|1992}}
{{Footer World Champions 4 x 100 m Men|1991|1993}}
{{Footer US NC 100m Men}}
{{Footer US NC Indoor 60m Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1988 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1992 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1996 Summer Olympics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Dennis}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American men sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Doping cases in the sport of athletics]]
[[Category:Edgewood Regional High School alumni]]
[[Category:Florida Gators men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:People from Havelock, North Carolina]]
[[Category:People from Winslow Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Camden County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Goodwill Games medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1998 Goodwill Games]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1990 Goodwill Games]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1994 Goodwill Games]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from North Carolina]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]