Deon Lendore
Deon Kristofer Lendore was a Trinidadian sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres. A three-time Olympian (2012, 2016, 2020), Lendore won an Olympic bronze medal in the 4×400 metres relay at London 2012, a World Championship silver medal in 2015, and three World Indoor Championship bronze medals. At the collegiate level, he won the prestigious Bowerman Award in 2014 while competing for Texas A&M University.
Olympic bronze, 4×400 m, London 2012
The Bowerman, 2014
44.36
Lexington, 18 May 2014
45.03
College Station, 1 March 2014
3
London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020
8
2 gold · 3 silver · 3 bronze
Athlete Profile
Career
Bydgoszcz · Port of Spain · Miramar
Deon Lendore kicked off his international career at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Bydgoszcz. Later that year, he snagged his initial international medal, helping Trinidad and Tobago secure silver in the 4×400 metres relay at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships held in Port of Spain. After competing at the 2010 World U20 Championships in Moncton, Lendore went back to the Pan American Junior Championships in Miramar, Florida, in July 2011, where he snagged a silver medal in the 400 metres, clocking in at 46.50 seconds.
London · Texas A&M · Beijing
Olympic Games, the 19-year-old Lendore took on the anchor leg for Trinidad and Tobago’s 4×400 metres relay team. Overtaking Great Britain’s Martyn Rooney in the final stretch, Lendore clinched the bronze medal with a national record time of 2:59.40.
While representing Texas A&M University under head coach Pat Henry, Lendore pulled off an unbeaten individual season in 2014, taking first place in all 14 of his 400-metre races throughout both indoor and outdoor college competitions. During this campaign, he achieved personal bests of 45.03 seconds (indoor) on March 1, 2014, and 44.36 seconds (outdoor) on May 18, 2014 and thus claimed both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor 400m titles. For his accomplishments, Lendore received The Bowerman in December 2014, recognizing him as the best male college track and field athlete in the U.S. In the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, he snagged a silver medal in the 4×400 metres relay, helping to set a national record of 2:58.20 with teammates Renny Quow, Lalonde Gordon, and Machel Cedenio.
In March 2016, he snagged a bronze medal in the individual 400 metres at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, clocking in at 46.17 seconds. Shortly after, he represented Trinidad and Tobago at his second Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Birmingham · Yokohama · Tokyo
During the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Lendore secured his second consecutive individual World Indoor bronze in the 400 metres, finishing with a time of 46.37 seconds after some runners ahead of him were disqualified.
In 2019, he was part of two relay teams that bagged gold medals: the 4×400 metres team at the World Athletics Relays in Yokohama, where they finished in 2:59.05, and again at the Pan American Games in Lima.
Lendore represented Trinidad and Tobago in his third Olympic appearance at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics in August 2021. He made it to the semi-finals of the individual 400 metres, placing 4th in Semi-Final 3 with a time of 44.93 seconds, and anchored the 4×400 metres relay team to an 8th-place finish in the final, clocking in at 3:00.85. He wrapped up his last international season in September 2021, coming in 3rd in the 400 metres at the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League meeting with a time of 44.81 seconds.
Texas A&M
After the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which took place in August 2021, and his 3rd-place finish at the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League meeting (with a time of 44.81s), Lendore was getting ready for the 2022 World Championships cycle. While he was volunteering as an assistant track and field coach at Texas A&M University from 2020 to 2022, tragedy struck.
On January 10, 2022, Lendore was part of a collision involving three vehicles in Texas. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, his car veered over the center line and into the path of oncoming traffic. Lendore was declared dead at the scene at just 29 years old.
Texas A&M University set up a memorial fund under his name to help student-athletes, while World Athletics and the country’s Olympic Committee provided tributes to celebrate his career: “Deon has flown the Trinidad and Tobago flag with pride, honour, patriotism and an indomitable will.”
Medals and marks
Lendore’s eight medals included two golds, three silvers, and three bronzes.
| Year | Competition | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Pan American Junior Championships | 4 × 400 metres relay | Silver |
| 2011 | Pan American Junior Championships | 400 metres | Silver |
| 2012 | London Summer Olympics | 4 × 400 metres relay | Bronze |
| 2015 | World Athletics Championships | 4 × 400 metres relay | Silver |
| 2016 | IAAF World Indoor Championships | 400 metres | Bronze |
| 2018 | IAAF World Indoor Championships | 400 metres | Bronze |
| 2019 | World Athletics Relays | 4 × 400 metres relay | Gold |
| 2019 | Pan American Games | 4 × 400 metres relay | Gold |
Lendore’s Performance for Trinidad and Tobago
The London 2012 Olympic Games was a turning point for sports in Trinidad and Tobago. Sending its delegation of 30 athletes competing in six sports, the nation celebrated its most successful Olympic Games ever, bringing home four official medals.
In this moment for the country, Deon Lendore had a key role in laying the groundwork. As the anchor runner for the men’s 4×400 metres relay team, Lendore clinched one of those medals, leading the team to a bronze finish with a time of 2:59.40. This accomplishment wrapped up the nation’s medal count in London, and it really marked Lendore as a key player in Trinidad and Tobago’s golden age in international relay competitions.