LaTasha Colander

{{short description|American track and field sprinter}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

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| image = LaTasha Colander Sydney 2000.JPEG

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| birth_place = Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.

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{{MedalSport|Women's athletics}}

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{{MedalGold | 2000 Sydney | 4 × 400 m Relay}}

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LaTasha Colander (born August 23, 1976, in Portsmouth, Virginia) is a retired track and field sprinter who competed internationally for the United States. In 1994, on athletic scholarship, Colander enrolled at, and later graduated from, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In 1994, in the 100 m hurdles, Colander was the USA Juniors champion, and placed second in the World Junior Champs. Yet soon, she switched to sprints. In 2000 and 2001, she was the U.S. champion in the 400 m. In April 2000, her team set the women's world record in the 4 × 200 m relay, a record standing over 15 years onward.Record current in April 2017.

In the 2000 Olympics, Colander won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay.{{cite Sports-Reference |title=LaTasha Colander-Richardson |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/latasha-colander-richardson-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203013728/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/latasha-colander-richardson-1.html |archive-date=December 3, 2016}} Upon her teammate Marion Jones's 2007 admission of illegal doping, the International Olympic Committee stripped the whole team's medals; in 2010, however, by a successful appeal, all team members except Jones had their medals restored.{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=5385884 |title=US relay runners win Olympic medals appeal |agency=Associated Press |date=July 16, 2010 |publisher=ESPN}}

Colander missed the 2001 World Championships because of a quadriceps injury. In 2003, she switched concentration to the 100 m, and won the 2004 US Olympic Trials in this shorter event. At the 2005 World Championships, she placed fifth in the 200 meters.

In 2000, Colander had established the LC Treasures Within Foundation, its mission to strengthen kids, families, and the world through education, sports, and spirituality.

In 2014, Colander was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.