Derek Mills
- Born
- Jul 9, 1972 (54 years old)
- Birthplace
- Washington, D.C., United States
- Events
- 400 m
- Height
- 1.75 m
- Weight
- 68 kg
- Club
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Derek Mills is an American former sprinter born on July 9, 1972, in Washington, D.C. Standing 175 cm and weighing 68 kg, he specialized in the 400 metres and achieved a career best of 44.13 seconds. Mills attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland before competing for Georgia Tech.
Mills won the 1994 NCAA Championship in the 400 metres and achieved a world ranking of second behind Michael Johnson that year, breaking 45 seconds seven times. He won Olympic gold in the 4x400 metre relay at the 1996 Atlanta Games, the pinnacle of his athletic career.
After athletics, Mills earned a Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School and an MBA from Tulane's Freeman School of Business in 2006. He currently serves as an assistant track and field coach at Tulane University in New Orleans. Mills is the stepfather of NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. through his marriage to Heather Van Mills, a six-time NCAA All-American at Louisiana State University.
As of Oct 27, 2026: 400 m 44.13 (#43 all-time), 2002 season best 46.00 (Apr 6, 2002, Atlanta, GA (USA)) · Olympic Games: 1 gold · World Championships: 2 gold · 54 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| World Championships | 2 | – | – | 2 |
| Total | 3 | – | – | 3 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 200m | 21.53 | +1.6 | Jun 1, 2002 | Atlanta, GA (USA) |
| 2002 | 400m | 46.00 | – | Apr 6, 2002 | Atlanta, GA (USA) |
| 2002 | 400m-short-track Indoor | 47.94 | – | Jan 12, 2002 | Saskatoon (CAN) (i) |
| 2002 | 400m-short-track | 47.94 | – | Jan 12, 2002 | – |
| 2001 | 400m | 45.62 | – | May 19, 2001 | Bridgetown (BAR) |
| 2001 | 400m-short-track Indoor | 46.65 | – | Mar 2, 2001 | Atlanta, GA (USA) (i) |
| 2001 | 400m-short-track | 46.65 | – | Mar 2, 2001 | – |
| 2001 | 4x400m | 3:01.49 | – | May 31, 2001 | Ostrava (CZE) |