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Valerie Brisco-Hooks (born Valerie Ann Brisco; July 6, 1960, in Greenwood, Mississippi) is an Olympian who won three gold medals as an Olympic track and field athlete at the 1984 Olympics at Los Angeles, California, making her the first Olympian to win gold medals in both the 200- and 400-meter races at a single Olympics.
Despite the family tragedies she endured and the physical hurdles she overcame, Valerie Brisco-Hooks will be remembered primarily for her one great achievement. In 1984, she became the first athlete, male or female, to win the 200- and 400-meter races in the same Olympic Games.
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Learn about Valerie Brisco-Hooks, the first woman to win gold medals in the 200 and 400 meters at the 1984 Olympics. Find out how she overcame personal and professional challenges, broke world records, and became a role model for young people.
She became the first woman to win the 200 and 400 m at the same Olympics, and added a third gold in the relay. She never managed to reach the same level as in 1984, but won a World Championship bronze in 1987 and Olympic silver in 1988, both in the 4×400 m relay. She retired from track and field in 1991.
- Valerie Ann•Brisco-Hooks
- Female
- Competed in Olympic Games
- Valerie•Brisco-Hooks
Learn about the life and achievements of Valerie Brisco-Hooks, who won three gold medals in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in the 200- and 400-meter races and the 4 × 400-meter relay. Discover how she overcame personal challenges, such as her brother's death, pregnancy, and drug abuse, to become a track and field star.
At the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, Valerie Brisco-Hooks stepped into the capacity-filled Los Angeles Coliseum for the 400x4 meter final – the first of her historic three gold medals – and she couldn’t hear the 100,000 loud cheers.
