Tim Montgomery

Timothy Montgomery (born January 28, 1975) is an American former track sprinter who specialized in the 100-meter dash. He was known for his speed and achieved many medals in international competitions. Montgomery won an Olympic silver medal as part of the 4 × 100-meter relay team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and later took 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 set in 2002. This happened because he was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs as part of the BALCO scandal. After retiring from athletics, he faced legal troubles for his involvement in a check fraud scheme and for dealing heroin in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.

Despite these challenges, Montgomery's official personal best time for the 100 meters remains 9.92 seconds, which makes him a sub-10 second sprinter. His career highlighted both great athletic achievements and important lessons about the consequences of using unfair advantages and making poor 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 the 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.

Though he couldn’t make the 100-meter race at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, he helped the U.S. team win a silver medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay. 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, Montgomery didn’t qualify for the 100 meters, but the U.S. relay team won gold. In 2002, he set a new world record in the 100 meters with a time of 9.78 seconds, but this record was later removed because he was found to have used performance-enhancing substances.

Business

In 2014, Montgomery moved to Gainesville, Florida to start a business helping people of all ages train in sports and athletics. The business’s motto is “Never Underestimate My Ability,” which can be seen on its website, NUMA Speed. This motto reflects his journey through success, challenges, and coming back stronger in both his sports career and his new business.

Steroid scandal

Tim Montgomery did not make the team for the 2004 Summer Olympics, finishing seventh in the final race. 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 told the agency he and other famous athletes got certain substances from a lab called BALCO near San Francisco. USADA wanted him banned for four years, but he fought this at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). On December 13, 2005, CAS ruled against him and gave him a two-year ban. All his results and awards from March 31, 2001, including a record he held, were taken away. After the ban was announced, Montgomery said he was retiring from sports. His former partner Marion Jones, who won gold in the women’s 100 meters at the 2000 Sydney Games, was also involved in the investigation.

Later, on November 24, 2008, Montgomery admitted to using certain substances before the Sydney Games relay 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 officially listed as the winner, and 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 worth $775,000 and was said to have received $20,000 for helping.

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

Heroin arrest

On May 1, 2008, Timothy 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., born in June 2003, 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.