Otis Harris
USA
Athletics
Overall Ranks
#15 among American Olympians
#12 among Track & Field Athletes
#11 among Male American Olympians
#9 among American Track & Field Athletes
#9 among Male Track & Field Athletes
#7 among Male American Track & Field Athletes
Olympic Results
2004
400m - Silver
4x400m Relay - Gold
Total
Events - 2
Gold - 1
Silver - 1
Otis Harris Jr. was born on June 30, 1982 in Edwards, Mississippi, and was a track All-American in high school. He attended the University of South Carolina, where he won a relay gold in the NCAA Championship, along with an individual silver.
He made the US Olympic team that went to Athens in 2004, where he would compete in 2 events. He started with the 400m, where he lost his first heat by 0.02 seconds, then had the exact same result in his semifinal heat, but automatically advanced to the final. In the final, he took an early lead, and held it for more than half the race, before his two American teammates caught him by the end of the final curve. Down the homestretch, Jeremy Wariner had a little more left in the tank, and Harris took the silver medal, 0.16 seconds behind.
The three Americans who swept the 400m medals joined together a few days later in the 4x400m relay. Harris took the leadoff leg, and gave the Americans a lead of almost a full second after his lap was done. Derrick Brew (#80) extended it to 2.5 seconds by the midway point, Wariner made it 3.5 seconds, and by the end, they had won the gold medal by 4.69 seconds, the most dominant relay performance in Olympic history.
Harris retired from competition at the end of the year, first returning to South Carolina to serve as an assistant track coach, then becoming a high school track coach. He has recently moved into law enforcement, serving as courtroom security. Even though his Olympic career was very short, he was part of the most dominant relay team in history, and nearly won an individual gold as well, making him one of the greatest Olympians of all time.
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