Lori Norwood
Personal information
Born (1964-07-30) 30 July 1964
Panama
Sport
CountryUnited States
Medal record
Modern Pentathlon
Representing  United States
World Modern Pentathlon Championships
Gold medal – first place1989 Wiener NeustadtWomen's
Silver medal – second place1990 LinköpingWomen's
Goodwill Games
Gold medal – first place1990 SeattleWomen's modern pentathlon
Bronze medal – third place1986 MoscowWomen's modern pentathlon

Lori Norwood (born July 30, 1964) is a retired modern pentathlete turned sculptor. Norwood was the first U.S. woman to win a modern pentathlon world title when she won gold at the 1989 World Modern Pentathlon Championships. She won her medal upon returning to competition from a 2+1⁄2-year absence from the sport. During her career, she was named Amateur of the Year in 1990 by Women's Sports Foundation. After her retirement, Norwood became a sculptor and was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Early life and education

On July 30, 1964,[1] Norwood was born in Panama and raised as a military brat.[2] As a child, she lived in various parts of the world including Brazil and Thailand. She began her modern pentathlon career during her teens after a friend recommended the sport based on Norwood's previous experience with shooting and horseback riding.[3] For her post-secondary education, Norwood attended the University of Texas in the early 1980s and competed in cross-country running.[4] She later went back to the Texan university to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts during the late 1980s.[3]

Career

Norwood was banned from competition after testing positive for Gamma-Butyrolactone at the 1986 World Modern Pentathlon Championships.[3] During her two and a half year ban, Norwood resumed her post-secondary studies and returned to competition in 1989. Upon her return, she won back to back medals at the World Modern Pentathlon Championships with a gold in 1989 and a silver in 1990.[5] With her gold medal in 1989, Norwood became the first woman of the United States to win a world title in modern penthatlon.[6]

Outside of the World Championships, Norwood won a bronze at the 1986 Goodwill Games and a silver at the 1989 United States National Pentathlon Championships.[5] She won additional gold medals at the 1990 Goodwill Games and U.S. National Pentathlon Championships.[7] Her total of 5,604 points was a world record at the 1990 National Championships.[8]

After her retirement from modern pentathlon in 1991, Norwood became a sculptor. She completed projects for cities in the Southern United States before going to Lawrence, Kansas in 2007.[6] Among her works is a sculpture she made for the 2012 Summer Olympics titled The All-Around Athlete.[9] Apart from sculpting, Norwood became a marathon runner in the early 1990s and won multiple races including the 1992 Austin Marathon.[10]

Awards and honors

Norwood was named Amateur of the Year in 1990 by the Women's Sports Foundation.[11] In 2015, she was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame.[12]

Personal life

Norwood is married and has two children.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Goodwill Games Almanac". UPI. July 29, 1990. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ Rhoden, William C. (July 13, 1990). "Olympic Festival; Blazing a Trail in Modern Pentathlon". New York Times. p. B00013. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Stathoplos, Demmie (April 16, 1990). "LORI NORWOOD, PENTATHLETE AND RENAISSANCE WOMAN". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  4. ↑ Briggs, Jerry (February 25, 2015). "S.A. Sports Hall of Fame profile: Lori Norwood". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Smith, Sarah (August 1, 1990). "Titlists Share Pain, Glory Of Their Sport -- Norwood, Starostin Cast Off Drug Ban". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Duderstadt, Chris (February 3, 2015). "Local pentathlete gets hall call". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Lori Norwood Selected to San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame". United States Olympic Committee. October 8, 2014. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  8. ↑ "World Champ Norwood Wins Pentathlon". Seattle Times. July 1, 1990. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Hittle, Shaun (July 22, 2012). "Olympic expression rings true". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  10. ↑ Hoban, Brom (November 23, 1993). "Ex-penthathlete sculpts new life through running". Austin American-Statesman. p. E8.
  11. ↑ "Sportswoman of the Year". Women's Sports Foundation. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Current Members of the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame". San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
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