ALBANY – Track and field legend Stanley Floyd didn’t become the fastest man in the world because of what happened after he left Dougherty High School in 1979. Instead, he told students Monday afternoon that his foundation for success was built on Albany’s east side. In a special assembly at Dougherty’s auditorium, Floyd was honored with a coin of distinction, surrounded by the school’s track team, juniors, and seniors. The band played, cheerleaders rallied, and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as one of Dougherty’s greatest athletes returned home. “It started here,” Floyd told the students. “I didn’t just have the fastest time because of what I learned after I graduated from Dougherty. We put the work in here. It was my coaches at Dougherty. It was the people here in Albany that got me started. Back then, we had a dirt track, and we didn’t know any better than to just push. No matter where I went in the world, I always remembered Dougherty High School and the city of Albany. I am a Trojan for life.”Advertisement Floyd is back in Albany this week ahead of the first annual Stanley Floyd Invitational, set for Saturday at Hugh Mills Stadium. The event, organized by the Albany Parks and Recreation Department under the direction of Steven Belk, will celebrate young athletes while honoring Floyd’s legacy. Addressing students on the importance of preparation, Floyd urged them to stay focused as they approach the next chapter of their lives. “Be prepared for what’s coming your way,” he said. “You’ll be leaving high school soon, and you will see things you don’t see here at school. I saw things that could have altered my life, and I would have never been the same if I didn’t know better. Be prepared.” Floyd’s track dominance reached its peak in 1980 when he ran the fastest 100-meter dash in the world, clocking in at 10.07 seconds. He was favored to win gold for Team USA at the Moscow Olympics, but his dreams were dashed when the U.S. boycotted the Games. During a brief question-and-answer session, students were particularly curious about his famous race against a horse on the TV show That’s Incredible! “It was real,” Floyd assured them. “They told me if I didn’t beat the horse, they wouldn’t air the show. They had the jockey—I can’t remember his name—who won the Triple Crown in horse racing. We did it several times, and they even changed horses on me. I thought they were cheating me.” See the YouTube video of “That’s Incredible” here. Now living in Houston, Floyd encouraged students to support the Stanley Floyd Invitational on Saturday. The event, which is open to young competitors up to fifth grade (and possibly older), will kick off with registration at 7 a.m., followed by the first races at 9 a.m.. “I’ll be there,” Floyd promised. “And I’m hoping a friend of mine who won multiple Olympic medals will be there too.” Dougherty students got a firsthand reminder that greatness isn’t just about where you end up—it’s about where you start. And for Stanley Floyd, that starting line will always be Dougherty High School. Advertisement

Track and Field legend Stanley Floyd honored at Dougherty High

See the YouTube video of “That’s Incredible” here. Advertisement Floyd’s track dominance reached its peak in 1980 when he ran the fastest 100-meter dash in the world, clocking in at 10.07 seconds. He was favored to win gold for Team USA at the Moscow Olympics, but his dreams were dashed when the U.S. boycotted the […]

See the YouTube video of “That’s Incredible” here.

Floyd’s track dominance reached its peak in 1980 when he ran the fastest 100-meter dash in the world, clocking in at 10.07 seconds. He was favored to win gold for Team USA at the Moscow Olympics, but his dreams were dashed when the U.S. boycotted the Games.

Floyd is back in Albany this week ahead of the first annual Stanley Floyd Invitational, set for Saturday at Hugh Mills Stadium. The event, organized by the Albany Parks and Recreation Department under the direction of Steven Belk, will celebrate young athletes while honoring Floyd’s legacy.

“Be prepared for what’s coming your way,” he said. “You’ll be leaving high school soon, and you will see things you don’t see here at school. I saw things that could have altered my life, and I would have never been the same if I didn’t know better. Be prepared.”

In a special assembly at Dougherty’s auditorium, Floyd was honored with a coin of distinction, surrounded by the school’s track team, juniors, and seniors. The band played, cheerleaders rallied, and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as one of Dougherty’s greatest athletes returned home.

“It was real,” Floyd assured them. “They told me if I didn’t beat the horse, they wouldn’t air the show. They had the jockey—I can’t remember his name—who won the Triple Crown in horse racing. We did it several times, and they even changed horses on me. I thought they were cheating me.”

Now living in Houston, Floyd encouraged students to support the Stanley Floyd Invitational on Saturday. The event, which is open to young competitors up to fifth grade (and possibly older), will kick off with registration at 7 a.m., followed by the first races at 9 a.m..

“I’ll be there,” Floyd promised. “And I’m hoping a friend of mine who won multiple Olympic medals will be there too.”

ALBANY – Track and field legend Stanley Floyd didn’t become the fastest man in the world because of what happened after he left Dougherty High School in 1979. Instead, he told students Monday afternoon that his foundation for success was built on Albany’s east side.

During a brief question-and-answer session, students were particularly curious about his famous race against a horse on the TV show That’s Incredible!

Dougherty students got a firsthand reminder that greatness isn’t just about where you end up—it’s about where you start. And for Stanley Floyd, that starting line will always be Dougherty High School.

“It started here,” Floyd told the students. “I didn’t just have the fastest time because of what I learned after I graduated from Dougherty. We put the work in here. It was my coaches at Dougherty. It was the people here in Albany that got me started. Back then, we had a dirt track, and we didn’t know any better than to just push. No matter where I went in the world, I always remembered Dougherty High School and the city of Albany. I am a Trojan for life.”

Addressing students on the importance of preparation, Floyd urged them to stay focused as they approach the next chapter of their lives.