Mark Richardson (athlete)
Mark Richardson (Mark Austin Richardson, born July 26, 1972 in Slough ) is a former British sprinter who specialized route was the 400 -meter run.
Career
Even as a teenager, he set several British age group records. At the Junior World Championships in 1990, he finished third and won silver in the relay. The following year he won at the European Junior Championships silver in the 400m and with the British team in the 4 x 100 - meter relay and gold in the 4 x 400 - meter relay. At the World Athletics Championships 1991 in Tokyo, he was employed in the flow over 4x400 m in the British team. In the final, John Regis was in his position, and the British relay was world champion.
Also at the 1992 Olympics, he was employed in the flow of the season. In the final, David Grindley ran for him and the team including Richardson won bronze. In 1993 and 1994 he was almost continuously violated.
At the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg Richardson was there again and was about 400 m in 44.81 s fifth. In the relay that was fifth in the final, he was once again used only in the flow. In 1996, the British team won at the Olympic Games in Atlanta on 4x400 m relay silver behind the U.S. in 2:56,60 min in the cast Iwan Thomas, Jamie Baulch, Richardson and Roger Black. Richardson ran 43.62 s, the fastest time part of the whole finale.
In the summer of 1997 at the World Championships in Athens Richardson was fourth in 44.47 s. The relay in the occupation of Thomas, Black, Baulch and Richardson ran into 2:56,65 min, a second place behind the quartet from the U.S. and from the Jamaicans. In 2008, the IAAF annulled all results of the US- American Antonio Pettigrew since January 1, 1997 because of his doping confessions, so that the British were subsequently declared to the world champion.
The European Athletics Championships 1998 in Budapest Richardson won in 45.14 s bronze behind Thomas and Robert Poland Maćkowiak. The British relay in the occupation of Mark Hylton, Baulch, Thomas and Richardson won in 2:58,68 minutes before the team from Poland. A month later, at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur Richardson, starting for England, about 400 m in 44.60 s second behind the Welshman Thomas. The season finale won Jamaica ahead of England and Wales, where in addition to Hylton and Richardson still running Paul Slythe and Solomon Wariso for England. 1999 Richardson was s sixth at the World Championships in Seville in 44.65. The British relay did not qualify for the finals themselves.
In October 1999, Richardson tested positive for nandrolone at a doping control. He protested his innocence and was acquitted in July 2000 by the British Athletics Federation, who was based on a scientific opinion, come to the conclusion that the athletes ingested food supplements have triggered a physical reaction that resulted in an inflated nandrolone value. Since the solution of the case at the international level also was delayed, however, Richardson failed to launch at the Olympic Games in Sydney.
The IAAF 's investigation concluded that the athlete had actually been contaminated with nandrolone preparations to him and was so far guilty. The two -year ban, the Richardson then accepted, was lifted in the summer of 2001 because of " exceptional circumstances " which was referring to the fact that he urgently warned his colleagues of the dangers of contaminated supplements.
Shortly thereafter, he started at the World Championships in Edmonton, reaching the semi-finals in the individual competition. In the season he came up with the British team to sixth place. In 2003 he officially ended his career.
Mark Richardson is 1,80 m tall and weighed 74 kg in his playing days. He started for the Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow Athletic Club. After his athletic career, he worked in the field of sport management and is now working for the consulting firm Lane4.