News08 Mar 2012


Hall of Fame Profile - Edwin Moses (USA)

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IAAF Hall of Fame - Edwin Moses (USA) (© Getty Images )

The prestigious American periodical Track and Field News named Moses as the outstanding 400m hurdler of the 20th century and there are few who would disagree with that choice.


Moses won gold medals at the 1976 and 1984 Olympic Games and would have been the prohibitive favourite to triumph in Moscow had the United States not boycotted the 1980 Olympics.


Between 1977 and 1987 - for nine years, nine months and nine days - Moses was undefeated and won 107 consecutive finals in his event (122 consecutive races in total) as well as revising the 400m hurdles world record four times.


During that winning streak, he also won gold medals at the 1983 and 1987 IAAF World Championships and triumphed at the 1977, 1979 and 1981 IAAF World Cups.


His final world record of 47.02 was set in the German city of Koblenz in 1983 and stood for the next nine years; and only one man has run faster since Moses retired in 1989.                                                    


During his competitive days, Moses was also a strong advocate for the reform of the rules relating to financial compensation for amateur athletes as well as being an articulate anti-drug campaigner.


For his immense contribution to sport in general, not just athletics, he was chosen to recite the Athletes' Oath during the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.


Moses has remained in the public eye in the 21st century as the Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy and Sport for Good Foundation.


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