Tim Montgomery

Timothy Montgomery (born January 28, 1975) is an American former track sprinter who ran the 100-meter dash very fast. He won an Olympic silver medal as part of the 4 × 100-meter relay team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and later won Olympic gold with the American relay team at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

In 2005, Montgomery lost all his records, including a men's 100-meter world record of 9.78 seconds from 2002. This happened because he was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs as part of the BALCO scandal. After retiring from athletics, he had legal troubles.

Montgomery's best time for the 100 meters is 9.92 seconds, which makes him a sub-10 second sprinter. His career showed both great achievements and the importance of playing fair and making good choices.

Career

Timothy Montgomery grew up in Gaffney, South Carolina. He started with basketball and football before joining track at Gaffney High School, where he won a state title in the 200 meters.

He went to Blinn College in Brenham, Texas and later studied at Norfolk State University in the Hampton Roads area of Norfolk, known for its strong track program. Montgomery took part in many junior track events and did well in sprints and relay races.

He helped the U.S. team win a silver medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 1997, he won a bronze medal at the World Championships, finishing behind Maurice Greene. In 1999, he placed sixth in the individual race but won gold with the U.S. relay team.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, the U.S. relay team won gold. In 2002, he set a new world record in the 100 meters, but this record was later removed.

Business

In 2014, Montgomery moved to Gainesville, Florida to start a business. He wanted to help people of all ages train in sports and athletics. The business’s motto is “Never Underestimate My Ability.” You can see this motto on its website, NUMA Speed. The motto shows his journey through success and challenges, and how he came back stronger in his sports career and his new business.

Steroid scandal

Tim Montgomery did not make the team for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Before this, he was accused by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) of using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Although he never failed a drug test, reports say he and other athletes got certain substances from a lab called BALCO.

USADA wanted him banned for four years, but he fought this at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). In 2005, CAS ruled against him and gave him a two-year ban. All his results and awards from 2001 were taken away. After this, Montgomery said he was retiring from sports. His former partner Marion Jones was also involved in the investigation.

Later in 2008, Montgomery admitted to using certain substances before a race where he helped win a gold medal. The International Olympic Committee said they would review this, but as of 2019, the United States team was still listed as the winner. No action was taken against his teammates Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis, Maurice Greene, and Kenny Brokenburr.

Money laundering charge

In April 2006, Montgomery was arrested for being part of a money laundering scheme. He was accused of depositing fake checks.

His former coach, Steve Riddick, was also involved and went to prison. Montgomery admitted to the charges in April 2007 and was sentenced to prison in May 2008.

Heroin arrest

On May 1, 2008, Tim Montgomery was accused of dealing a large amount of a harmful substance in the Hampton Roads area. He said he was surprised by the accusations.

In October 2008, Montgomery was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.

Personal life

Tim Montgomery has four children. His son Tim Jr. was born in June 2003 and is with Marion Jones. He married Jamalee Montgomery, the mother of his other children, in October 2009. His daughter Tymiah, born in 2001, ran track for the University of Florida Gators, and he has two younger sons.