Joe Deloach

Joe DeLoach is an American former sprinter born on June 5, 1967, in Bay City, Texas. Standing 182 cm and weighing 76 kg, he won the 200 meters gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, defeating his training partner Carl Lewis in an Olympic record time of 19.75 seconds.

DeLoach grew up in a large family with eleven sisters and one brother, initially aspiring to become a football player before dedicating himself to sprinting. He trained at the University of Houston, following in the footsteps of Carl Lewis. At the 1988 Olympics, he qualified in both the 100 and 200 meters, finishing fifth in the 100m before stunning the field in the 200m final. His victory marked the only time Carl Lewis was defeated in an individual Olympic final.

DeLoach's Olympic record of 19.75 seconds in Seoul remains the track record for that venue. In 2003, documents revealed he was among athletes who tested positive for banned substances between 1988 and 2000, though the IAAF investigation concluded the dosages were low concentration and no rules had been broken.