The self-named "Cheetah Man," Shawn Crawford is best known for racing a giraffe on a TV show and for his bizarre antics on the track. But more recently, the South Carolina native established himself as one of the top sprinters in the world. Crawford grew up in the small town of Van Wyck, S.C. He graduated from Clemson in 2000 with a degree in parks, recreation and tourism management. He joined Clemson's football team his senior year, but quit because he didn't get enough playing time. Crawford qualified for the U.S. team by finishing third (9.93 seconds) in a tight and spectacular 100m final that saw the top three runners hit the finish line within .02 of a second of each other. In 200m qualifying, his 19.88 was the fastest qualifying time in Trials history. He ran a 20.00 in the semifinals and finished with a 19.99 in the final, winning the 200m. In 2004, he showed that he was a force in the 100m as well. The most telling sign came at the Prefontaine Classic in June, where Crawford ran 9.88, then the fastest time in the world. He also ran a wind-aided 9.86 at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix. Crawford has never run the 100m at a world championship. In 2001, Crawford was the 200m national champion and won bronze at the World Championships.
