Dawn Harper
Encyclopedia
Dawn Harper from East St. Louis, Illinois
is an American
track and field
athlete who specializes in the 100-meter hurdles. She was the gold medalist in the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She is trained by Bob Kersee
, husband of Jackie Joyner-Kersee
, six time Olympic medalist.
During her time with the UCLA Bruins
, Harper won the sprint hurdles at the US Junior Championships and at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
. She received All-America
n honours twice at the 2004 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
, after coming eighth in the 100 m hurdles final and taking second place in the 4×100-meter relay.
Running at the 2008 Olympics, she upset the favorite (Lolo Jones
) by winning in the 100 m hurdles in a time of 12.54 seconds, a new personal best for Harper. Harper closed her year with a third place performance at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
.
She recorded a personal best of 12.48 seconds in the semi-finals of the 100 m hurdles at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
in Berlin
, but she only managed seventh place in the final. She managed to reach the podium at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
, however, and ran 12.61 seconds for a silver medal
.
.
East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 27,006, less than one-third of its peak of 82,366 in 1950...
is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who specializes in the 100-meter hurdles. She was the gold medalist in the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She is trained by Bob Kersee
Bob Kersee
Bob Kersee is a famous and successful American track coach, husband, and coach of, among others, Jackie Joyner-Kersee....
, husband of Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jacqueline "Jackie" Joyner-Kersee is a retired American athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon as well as in the women's long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those four different events...
, six time Olympic medalist.
During her time with the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
, Harper won the sprint hurdles at the US Junior Championships and at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
The Pan American Junior Athletics Championships are a biennial sports event for track and field athletes from the Americas. They were first held in 1980. The IAAF defines Junior as athletes who are 19 years of age or under.-Summary of Championships:...
. She received All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honours twice at the 2004 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA team champions for Women's Outdoor Track and Field-By school:-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Outdoor Track and Field Champions*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship...
, after coming eighth in the 100 m hurdles final and taking second place in the 4×100-meter relay.
Running at the 2008 Olympics, she upset the favorite (Lolo Jones
Lolo Jones
Lori "Lolo" Jones, more commonly known as Lolo Jones, is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 60 and 100 meter hurdles. She won three NCAA titles and garnered 11 All-American honors while at LSU...
) by winning in the 100 m hurdles in a time of 12.54 seconds, a new personal best for Harper. Harper closed her year with a third place performance at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 7th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 12 and September 13, 2009. The competition represented the culmination of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, a selection of athletics meetings which began on September 20, 2008 at the...
.
She recorded a personal best of 12.48 seconds in the semi-finals of the 100 m hurdles at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, but she only managed seventh place in the final. She managed to reach the podium at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 7th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 12 and September 13, 2009. The competition represented the culmination of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, a selection of athletics meetings which began on September 20, 2008 at the...
, however, and ran 12.61 seconds for a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
.
Personal life
Harper resided in Los Angeles, California at the Theta Xi house. She is the daughter of Henry and Linda Harper and has two sisters, Keya and Shivani, and one brother, Bryton. She attended UCLA and majored in psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
.