Diana Pickler
Encyclopedia
Diana Pickler is an American
heptathlete from Shreveport, Louisiana
. She has represented her country at the Olympic
and World Championship levels and was the 2009 US heptathlon champion. Her twin sister, Julie Pickler, is also a track and field
athlete.
, she won her first major national honours in 2001, taking the national junior championship in the heptathlon
. Track and Field News rated her as the country's top junior heptathlete that year. She represented the United States at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
but finished in 15th place with 4539 points, well below her season's best of 5365.
The 2003 and 2004 seasons were uneventful but she matured as a senior athlete the following two seasons, taking sixth place in the NCAA championships in 2005 and improving to third place in 2006. She also finished fifth at the national outdoor championships that year. The 2007 season represented a significant progression: her personal best reached over 6000 points for the first time and she was ranked as the number one American heptathlete by Track and Field News. She was runner-up at the national outdoor championships, and also runner-up in the indoor championships in the pentathlon
. She was part of the American team for the 2007 World Championships
and, although she finished 25th, it was the best performance by an American in the event.
After taking third at the 2008 Olympic trials with a personal best of 6,257 points, she represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. However, she strained her hamstring in the first event (100 meter hurdles) and failed to finish the competition. At the 2009 national championships, an injury to the favourite Hyleas Fountain
resulted in Pickler's first senior national title. She took first place with event bests in the 800 meters and shot put
, and a personal heptathlon best of 6290 points, finishing ahead of Sharon Day and Bettie Wade.
competition (known in the US as Women of Ninja Warrior) in the summer of 2007, but failed on the Log Jam in the first stage when her foot hit the water as she tried to climb back onto a log after losing her balance.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heptathlete from Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. She has represented her country at the Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and World Championship levels and was the 2009 US heptathlon champion. Her twin sister, Julie Pickler, is also a 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.
Career
Spending her amateur career with Washington State UniversityWashington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, she won her first major national honours in 2001, taking the national junior championship in the heptathlon
Heptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:...
. Track and Field News rated her as the country's top junior heptathlete that year. She represented the United States at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
but finished in 15th place with 4539 points, well below her season's best of 5365.
The 2003 and 2004 seasons were uneventful but she matured as a senior athlete the following two seasons, taking sixth place in the NCAA championships in 2005 and improving to third place in 2006. She also finished fifth at the national outdoor championships that year. The 2007 season represented a significant progression: her personal best reached over 6000 points for the first time and she was ranked as the number one American heptathlete by Track and Field News. She was runner-up at the national outdoor championships, and also runner-up in the indoor championships in the pentathlon
Pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five different events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente and -athlon . The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games...
. She was part of the American team for the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
and, although she finished 25th, it was the best performance by an American in the event.
After taking third at the 2008 Olympic trials with a personal best of 6,257 points, she represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. American athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1896 Summer Olympics except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. The United States entered the Games as the most successful nation in...
. However, she strained her hamstring in the first event (100 meter hurdles) and failed to finish the competition. At the 2009 national championships, an injury to the favourite Hyleas Fountain
Hyleas Fountain
Hyleas Fountain is an American heptathlete.-Early years:Fountain attended Central Dauphin East High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where she was under the coaching of Al Moten, and continued her career at the University of Georgia under coach Wayne Norton...
resulted in Pickler's first senior national title. She took first place with event bests in the 800 meters and shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, and a personal heptathlon best of 6290 points, finishing ahead of Sharon Day and Bettie Wade.
Other appearances
Pickler appeared at the 7th KUNOICHIKunoichi (TV series)
was a women's obstacle course competition held in Japan and broadcast on the Tokyo Broadcasting System. It is a spin-off of Sasuke, another obstacle course series. Kunoichi is different from Sasuke in that the competitors are exclusively female.-Participants:Participants compete for a prize of 2...
competition (known in the US as Women of Ninja Warrior) in the summer of 2007, but failed on the Log Jam in the first stage when her foot hit the water as she tried to climb back onto a log after losing her balance.
Personal bests
| Event | Best | Venue | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 meter hurdles | 13.25 secs | Sacramento, California Sacramento, California Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,... , United States |
June 7, 2007 | |
| High jump High jump The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years.... |
1.84 m | Austin, Texas Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... , United States |
April 4, 2007 | |
| Shot put Shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action.... |
13.49 m | Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... , United States |
June 27, 2009 | |
| 200 meters | 24.07 secs | Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... , United States |
June 21, 2007 | |
| Long jump Long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point... |
6.36 m | Desenzano, Italy | May 11, 2008 | |
| Javelin Javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon... |
44.03 m | Palo Alto, California Palo Alto, California Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is... , United States |
May 6, 2007 | |
| 800 meters | 2:16.59 mins | Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... , United States |
June 28, 2009 | |
| Heptathlon Heptathlon A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:... |
6257 pts | Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... , United States |
June 28, 2009 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
Competition record
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Event | Place | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | World Junior Championships 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:... |
Kingston Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island... , Jamaica |
Heptathlon | 15th | 4539 |
| 2007 | World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
Heptathlon | 25th | 5838 |
| 2008 | Olympic Games 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
Heptathlon | DNF |
External links
- USATF profile for Diana Pickler