Elija Godwin

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Elija Godwin

| image = Elija Godwin Oregon 2022.png

| image_size =

| caption = Godwin at the 2022 World Athletics Championships

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|7|1}}

| birth_place = Covington, Georgia, U.S.

| height =

| weight =

| country = {{USA}}

| sport = Track and field

| event = 200 m, 400 m

| collegeteam = Georgia Bulldogs

| coach =

| pb = {{ubl

|100 m: 10.47 (Atlanta 2019)

|200 m: 20.32 (Athens, GA 2021)

|400 m: 44.61 (College Station 2021)

}}

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's athletics}}

{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}

}}

Elija Godwin (born July 1, 1999) is an American athlete who specializes in the 400 meters.{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/elija-godwin-14690211 |title=Elija GODWIN |website=WorldAthletics.org}}

Career

=Early career=

Godwin is from Covington, Georgia and is a student at the University of Georgia. Initially, Godwin only ran on the track to condition himself for football. Then, once he began to train more seriously, he would run mostly 100 m and 200 m. This was until his coach, Kevin Barnes, looked at his split times and suggested he run an open 400 m race. Godwin ran 47.40 for the 400 m at his first race.{{Cite web |url=https://georgiadogs.com/news/2021/5/26/track-field-quick-chat-elija-godwin.aspx |title=Quick Chat: Elija Godwin |website=University of Georgia Athletics}}

=Javelin injury=

On May 7, 2019, Godwin suffered a severe injury during a training session when he was impaled by a javelin while running backward sprints at Georgia track and field practice prior to the 2019 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.{{Cite web |url=https://trackandfieldnews.com/elija-godwin-bouncing-back-from-nasty-javelin-injury/ |title=Elija Godwin Bouncing Back From Nasty Javelin Injury |first=Jeff |last=Hollobaugh |date=March 5, 2020}} The accident left Godwin with wounds to his back and shoulder and collapsed his left lung. Emergency services attended to him and ground off part of the javelin before he was taken to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Centre, where the rest of it was removed by surgeons.{{Cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/08/university-of-georgia-sprinter-javelin-impaled-elija-godwin |title=University of Georgia sprinter seriously injured after being impaled on javelin |date=May 8, 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian}}

=Senior career=

On May 15, 2021, he ran a personal best 44.61 at the Cushing stadium in Texas at the SEC Outdoor Championships to meet the Olympic qualifying standard.{{Cite web |url=https://results.flashresults.com/2021_05-13_SEC/023-2_compiled.htm |title=SEC Championships (May 13-15, 2021). Men 400 M |website=results.flashresults.com}} At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon he finished fourth in his heat in a time of 46.18.{{cite web |title=NCAA Championships (June 9-12, 2021). Men 400 M (Semifinals) |url=https://dt8v5llb2dwhs.cloudfront.net/Outdoor/2021/003-1-03.htm |website=dt8v5llb2dwhs.cloudfront.net |access-date=2021-06-28}}

He qualified for the final of the USA men's Olympic Trials 400 m race, running 44.81 and 45.10 in the heats.{{Cite web |url=https://results.usatf.org/ |title=Results |website=results.usatf.org}} In the final he placed sixth and qualified for US men's relay pool for the 4 × 400 m at the 2020 Summer Games.{{cite web |author=Nick Zaccardi |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/06/20/olympic-track-and-field-trials-results-tokyo |title=U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials results |work=NBC Sports |date=2021-06-27 |access-date=2021-06-28}} At the Olympics he won a Bronze medal as part of the American Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay team.{{Cite web |title=Athletics - Team United States of America |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-nathx4x400m-usa01-united-states-of-america.htm |work=Tokyo 2020 |accessdate=2021-08-31 |archive-date=July 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730111838/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-nathx4x400m-usa01-united-states-of-america.htm |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |title=Godwin, Irby Collect Bronze Medals From Olympic Relay |url=https://georgiadogs.com/news/2021/7/31/track-field-godwin-irby-collect-bronze-medals-from-olympic-relay.aspx |website=georgiadogs.com |publisher=University of Georgia Athletics |date=2021-07-31 |accessdate=2021-08-31}}

Indoors, Godwin finished 7th in his heat of the 400 m at the SEC Championships and did not make the final, but returned to anchor the University of Georgia's 4 × 400 m team with a winning 44.95 leg.{{Cite web |url=https://www.flashresults.com/2022_Meets/Indoor/02-25_SEC/029-1-03.htm |title=SEC Indoor Championships (February 25-26, 2022) Men 400 M |website=results.flashresults.com}} At the NCAA Indoor Championships, he finished 4th in his heat of the 400 m and anchored Georgia to 4th in the 4 × 400 m final.{{Cite web |url=https://flashresults.ncaa.com/Indoor/2022/009-1_compiled.htm|title=NCAA Indoor Championships (March 11-12, 2022) Men 400 M |website=results.flashresults.com}}

Outdoors, Godwin was the runner-up at the SEC Championship meet in 44.81, behind Champion Allison of Florida who ran 44.74.{{Cite web |url=https://live.deltatiming.com/meets/15663/events/571417/results |title=SEC Championships (May 12-14, 2022) Men 400 M |website=live.deltatiming.com}} At the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Godwin placed 3rd in a personal-best 44.50 behind Allison (44.41) and defending champion Randolph Ross (44.13) of North Carolina A&T.{{Cite web |url=https://flashresults.ncaa.com/Outdoor/2022/003-2_compiled.htm |title=NCAA Championships (June 8-11, 2022) Men 400 M |website=flashresults.ncaa.com}} Competing for the United States at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon Godwin won bronze in the mixed 4 × 400 m relay and then gold in the men's 4 × 400 m relay, completing the first leg in a team also consisting of Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon and Champion Allison.{{Cite web|url=https://georgiadogs.com/news/2022/7/24/track-field-elija-godwin-wins-gold-to-end-world-championships|title=Elija Godwin Wins Gold To End World Championships|website=georgiabulldogs.com}}

He won a gold medal in the men's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March 2025.{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7136586?eventId=204609|website=World Athletics|accessdate=23 March 2025|date=23 March 2025|title=World Athletics Indoor Championships}}{{cite web|first=Dan|last=Hall|url=https://www.flotrack.org/articles/13923755-usatf-announces-56-athletes-for-team-usa-at-2025-world-indoor-championships|website=Flotrack|date=14 March 2025|title= USATF Announces 56 Athletes For Team USA At 2025 World Indoor Championships|accessdate=14 March 2025}}{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/nanjing25/news/report/nanjing-25-men-4x400m-report |website=World Athletics|accessdate=23 March 2025|date=23 March 2025|title= USA dominates men's 4x400m in Nanjing}} He competed at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China in the Men's 4 × 400 metres relay in May 2025.{{cite web|url= https://www.watchathletics.com/page/6611/men-s-4x400-metres-relay-world-athletics-relays-championships-2025 | website=Watch Athletics|accessdate=13 May 2025|date=11 May 2025|title= Men's 4x400 Metres Relay - World Athletics Relays Championships 2025}}{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-relays/guangzhou25/news/news/usa-team-guangzhou-25 |title= Global medallists on US team for World Relays in Guangzhou

|website=world athletics|accessdate=24 April 2025|date=24 April 2025}}

Personal life

His mother, Ginger Luby, was working her job as an administrator in a doctor's office when she received the call that Elija had been injured by the javelin in 2019.{{cite web |author=Chip Towers |url=https://www.dawgnation.com/football/dawgnation/having-survived-impalement-by-javelin-georgias-elija-godwin-is-happy-to-share-his-testimony |title=Having survived impalement by javelin, Georgia's Elija Godwin is happy to share his testimony |work=Dawg Nation |date=May 9, 2019 |access-date=2021-06-28}} Godwin has one brother, Okon Godwin and a sister, Kyaundra Ward. He graduated from Newton High School in Covington, Georgia in 2018. Godwin received special recognition from Covington's city council by way of a proclamation that made 10 September 2022 "Elija Godwin" day.{{Cite web|url=https://www.covnews.com/sports/newton/elija-godwin-cherishes-hometowns-support-on-elija-godwin-day/|title=Elija Godwin cherishes hometown's support on 'Elija Godwin Day'|website=Covnews.com}}