Edwin Moses

Edwin Moses is an Olympian in track and field, known for his dominance in the 400-meter hurdles and his dedication to sports reform. After setting a world record of 47.63 seconds and securing his first gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games—the only gold medal won by an American man in track and field at those games—Edwin Moses went on to achieve unprecedented dominance in his sport. This breakthrough victory initiated an extraordinary winning streak of 122 consecutive races, including 107 consecutive finals, in the 400-meter hurdles over nearly a decade. During this period, he earned gold medals at the IAAF World Cup in both 1977 and 1981, and was recognized as the ‘Track & Field News Athlete of the Year’ in 1980 and recipient of USA Track & Field’s prestigious ‘Jesse Owens Award’ in 1981.

Despite the American boycott of the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games, Moses returned to prominence by winning his second Olympic gold medal at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, where he also delivered the esteemed Olympic Oath. His stellar performance in 1983 included securing the ‘James E. Sullivan Award’ and a gold medal at the World Championships. In 1984, he was named ‘ABC’s Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year’ and co-recipient of the ‘Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year’ with Mary Lou Retton.

He presented the ‘Dayton Literary Peace Prize Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2008 and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2009. In 2018, he was honored with the ‘Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his profound impact on sports. Looking to 2024, his life and career will be explored in the forthcoming documentary film, ‘MOSES-13 Steps’.