Melaine Walker O.D (born 1 January 1983, Kingston) is a Jamaican 400 metres hurdler. Walker is the reigning World and Olympic 400 m hurdles champion.[1] She holds the Olympic record of 52.64, set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and her time of 52.42 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin is the second fastest time in history.[1]
[edit] Biography
Walker is a past student of the St. Jago High School. She won Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in a new Olympic record time of 52.64 seconds. Walker won the Jamaica national championships in 54.70 seconds, narrowly beating new-comer Kaliese Spencer and qualifying for her first World Championships in Athletics.[2]
On 20 August 2009, she set the second fastest time in history of 52.42 seconds to win the women's 400m hurdles final at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. [3] She leapt on the back of the mascot Berlino the Bear to do a victory lap but Berlino crashed into a cart of hurdles and dropped her.[4]
[edit] Achievements
| Year |
Tournament |
Venue |
Result |
Event |
| 1998 |
World Junior Championships |
Annecy, France |
5th |
200 m |
| 3rd |
4x100 m relay |
| 1999 |
World Youth Championships |
Bydgoszcz, Poland |
2nd |
200 m |
| 6th |
100 m hurdles |
| 2000 |
World Junior Championships |
Santiago, Chile |
3rd |
400 m hurdles |
| 2nd |
4x400 m relay |
| 2002 |
World Junior Championships |
Kingston, Jamaica |
2nd |
400 m hurdles |
| 2006 |
Central American and Caribbean Games |
Cartagena, Colombia |
3rd |
400 m hurdles |
| 2nd |
4x400 m relay |
| 2007 |
World Athletics Final |
Stuttgart, Germany |
3rd |
400 m hurdles |
| 2008 |
Olympic Games |
Beijing, China |
1st |
400 m hurdles |
| World Athletics Final |
Stuttgart, Germany |
1st |
400 m hurdles |
| 2009 |
World Championships |
Berlin, Germany |
1st |
400 m hurdles |
| IAAF World Athletics Final |
Thesaloniki, Greece |
1st |
400 m hurdles |
[edit] Personal bests
[edit] References
- ^ a b Lewis, Richard (2009-08-20) "For Walker, World record assault next item on the agenda?". IAAF. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ^ Foster, Anthony (2009-06-28). Bolt 9.86 and Fraser 10.88; Walker and Phillips excel over hurdles – JAM Champs , Day 2. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-06-28.
- ^ "Walker storms to 400m hurdle gold". BBC Sport. 2009-08-20. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/8213194.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
- ^ Emily Benammar, "World Athletics: Berlino the Bear drops Olympic champion Melanie Walker", The Daily Telegraph, 21 Aug 2009
| Persondata |
| Name |
Walker, Melaine |
| Alternative names |
|
| Short description |
Athletics (sport) competitor |
| Date of birth |
1983-01-01 |
| Place of birth |
|
| Date of death |
|
| Place of death |
|
Jamaica
