Vernon Norwood

Vernon Norwood
Norwood in 2023
Personal information
Full nameVernon Larnard Norwood
Born (1992-04-10) April 10, 1992
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
Sport
Country United States
SportTrack and field
Event
400 metres
College teamLSU Tigers track and field
ClubNew Balance
Turned pro2015
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)400 meters: 44.10[1]
200 meters: 20.30[1]
4 × 400 meters: 2:54.43[1]
Mixed 4 × 400 meters: 3:07.41 WR [1]
300 meters: 32.70[1]
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 4 × 400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 4 × 400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris 4 × 400 m mixed
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo 4 × 400 m mixed
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Beijing 4 × 400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2019 Doha 4 × 400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2022 Eugene 4 × 400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2023 Budapest 4 × 400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2025 Tokyo 4 x 400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Eugene 4 × 400 m mixed
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Portland 4 × 400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2018 Birmingham 4 × 400 m relay
World Relays
Gold medal – first place 2019 Yokohama 4 × 200 m relay
Updated on August 28, 2025

Vernon Larnard Norwood (born April 10, 1992) is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 400 meters.[2] He has four Olympic medals in relay events. Norwood holds the world record in the mixed 4 × 400 meters relay with teammates Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, and Kaylyn Brown. With six medals, he is one of the most successful athletes at the World Athletics Championships.

Biography

Raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, he is the son of Curtis Norwood and Charliette Ray.[3] Norwood started running track in his junior year at Morgan City High School.[4]

College

For South Plains College, Norwood was a multiple time NJCAA national champion.[5]

For the LSU Tigers, he was a four time NCAA national champion.[6][7]

Professional

In 2015, Norwood finished 3rd at the US Outdoor Championships, to secure a spot in the United States team at the World Championships in the 400 meters. He made it to the semi-final and did not advance to the final in the 400 m, and won a gold medal as part of the 4 × 400 m relay squad.[8]

During the 2016 indoor season, Norwood made his second USA team by winning the 400m at the US Indoor Championships.[2] At the World Indoor Championships, he was disqualified for stepping on the inside of his lane during the first round of the 400 meters, and won gold in the 4 × 400 m relay.[9]

Norwood won a silver medal as part of the 4 × 400 relay team at the 2018 World Indoor Championships.[10]

In 2019, Norwood finished 4th at the US Outdoor Championships in a new personal best of 44.40. He competed at the 2019 World Championships, where he went out in the semi-finals of the 400 metres and won gold in the 4 × 400 m relay.[11][2]

In 2021, Norwood ran a new 200 m personal best of 20.30s in Baton Rouge.[2] He finished 5th at the US Olympic trials and qualified for the 4x400 relay teams at the Tokyo Olympics.[12] Norwood won a bronze medal as part of the Mixed 4 × 400 m relay team and a gold medal as part of the Men's 4 × 400 m relay team.[13][14]

Norwood finished 4th in the 400 m at the 2022 US Outdoor Championships in a new personal best of 44.35s.[15] He competed at the 2022 World Championships Where he won bronze as part of the Mixed 4 × 400 m relay team and gold as part of the Men's 4 × 400 relay team.[16][17]

In 2023, Norwood finished 2nd at the US Outdoor Championships, qualifying for the 2023 World Athletics Championships, where he finished 4th in the 400 m, having run a new personal best of 44.26s in the semi-final,[2] he won a gold medal as part of the Men's 4 × 400 m relay team.[18]

At the 2024 US Olympic Trials, Norwood finished 4th in the 400 m with a time of 44.47s.[19] He ran a personal best of 44.10s over 400m at the London Athletics Meet.[2] Norwood competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, he won a silver medal as part of the Mixed 4 × 400 m relay team, having broken the world record in the heats and a gold medal as part of the Men's 4 × 400 relay team.[20][21]

USA National Track and field Championships

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Eugene, Oregon 2nd 400 metres 44.39[22]
2016 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Portland, Oregon 1st 400 metres 45.80[23]
2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Eugene, Oregon 3rd 400 metres 44.80[24]

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2014 NACAC U23 Championships Kamloops, Canada 1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:04.34
3rd 400 m 45.56
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 1st (h) 4 × 400 m relay 2:58.13
2016 Indoor World Championships Portland, USA 1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:02.45
DQ 400 m -
2018 Indoor World Championships Birmingham, England 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:01.97
2019 World Relays Yokohama, Japan 1st 4 × 200 m relay 1:20.12
World Championships Doha, Qatar 4th (sf) 400 m 45.02
1st (h) 4 × 400 m relay 2:59.89
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 3rd Mixed 4 × 400 m relay 3:10.22
1st (h) 4 × 400 m relay 2:57.77
2022 World Championships Eugene, USA 3rd Mixed 4 × 400 m relay 3:10.16
1st (h) 4 × 400 m relay 2:58.96
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 4th 400 m 44.39
1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:57.31
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 2nd Mixed 4 × 400 m relay 3:07.74
1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:54.43 OR

Circuit performances

Grand Slam Track results[25]
Slam Race group Event Pl. Time Prize money
2025 Kingston Slam Long sprints 400 m 3rd 44.70 US$25,000
200 m 4th 20.92

References

  1. ^ a b c d e World Athletics. "Vernon Norwood Athlete Profile".
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Vernon NORWOOD - Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  3. ^ Vernon Norwood Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. LSU Sports. Retrieved on June 28, 2015.
  4. ^ "LSU sprinter Norwood journeys from basketball court to track". March 9, 2015.
  5. ^ "South Plains Sweeps NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships - NJCAA | News | National". Archived from the original on August 20, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  6. ^ "LSU's Vernon Norwood cruises to win in 400 meters at NCAA meet | College | the New Orleans Advocate — New Orleans, Louisiana". Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  7. ^ "Vernon Norwood LSU Track and Field profile". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  8. ^ "Allyson Felix wins 400 m, fastest women upset at U.S. Championships". June 27, 2015.
  9. ^ Robinson, Javier Clavelo (March 20, 2016). "Report: men's 4x400m final – IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016". Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Hardman, Dean (March 4, 2018). "Report: men's 4x400m final – IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018". Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  11. ^ "4x400 Metres Relay men". World Athletics. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  12. ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field". usatf.org. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  13. ^ Rosen, Karen (July 31, 2021). "Team USA Takes Bronze In New Olympic Track Event – Mixed 4x400 Relay". teamusa.com. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  14. ^ "Norwood wins gold as Team USA clinches 4x400 at Olympics". StMaryNow. August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  15. ^ "2022 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships". usatf.org. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  16. ^ "4 x 400 Metres Relay Mixed - Final" (PDF). World Athletics. July 15, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  17. ^ "4 x 400 Metres Relay Men - Round 1" (PDF). World Athletics. July 24, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  18. ^ "4 x 400 Metres Relay Men - Final" (PDF). World Athletics. August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  19. ^ "2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field". usatf.org. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  20. ^ Greif, Andrew (August 3, 2024). "Bol sprints Netherlands to Olympic comeback and 4x400m mixed relay gold in Paris". World Athletics. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  21. ^ "Men's 4 x 400m Relay Final Results" (PDF). olympics.com. August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  22. ^ "2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships". usatf.org. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  23. ^ "2016 USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. March 12, 2016. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  24. ^ "2016 USA Track & Field – Results – Full". Usatf.org. March 12, 2016. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  25. ^ "Grand Slam Track Results". Grand Slam Track. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
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