Lori Norwood

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.

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

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, Norwoood 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. 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. 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. 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. 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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