Toussaint, Cheryl (1952—)
Toussaint, Cheryl (1952—)
African-American track and field athlete. Born on December 16, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York; graduated from New York University, 1974.
Silver medalist, 4x400-meter relay (3:25.2), Munich Olympic Games (1972).
Cheryl Toussaint was born in 1952 in Brooklyn, New York, where she attended Erasmus High School and was a member of the Atoms Track Club. In 1970, Toussaint won the AAU 990-yard title, which she successfully defended the following year. In 1972, however, she lost the title to Carol Hudson . At the Olympic final trials that year, she lost the 990 to Madeline Manning . At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Toussaint was eliminated in the 800-meter heats, but earned a spot on the U.S. relay team by placing fifth in the 400-meter final trials. In the heats, she ran the third leg in 51.3, helping the team to a new U.S. record of 3:22.8. The team won a silver medal in the 4×400-meter race with a time of 3:25.2. Toussaint won the AAU indoor 800 yards in both 1972 and 1973.
sources:
Page, James A. Black Olympian Medalists. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1991.
Elizabeth Shostak , M.A., Cambridge, Massachusetts