Brenda Taylor (hurdler) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brenda Taylor (hurdler)

Personal information
Born	(1979-02-09) February 9, 1979 (age 46) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Medal record Women's athletics Representing the  United States World Indoor Championships Bronze 2003 Birmingham 4 × 400 m relay

Brenda Taylor is an American athlete who was born on February 9, 1979. She is famous for her skills in track and field, especially in the 400 meter hurdles race. This event involves running over obstacles called hurdles.

Brenda achieved great success in her career. She made it to the final of the 400 meter hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She also competed in the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. In 2003, she won a bronze medal at the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships as part of the 4×400-meter relay team.

Brenda Taylor is also very smart! She graduated from Harvard University with a medical degree. While studying there, she won the hurdles event at the 2001 NCAA Championships, representing the Harvard Crimson track team.

Brenda Taylor's Athletic Journey

Brenda Taylor was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up in Boone, North Carolina. After finishing Watauga High School in 1997, she went to Harvard University. There, she studied psychology and biology. She also continued to compete in track and field for the Harvard Crimson team.

College Achievements

In 2000, Brenda finished seventh in the 400 meter hurdles at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Her best college achievements came in her final year at Harvard. She ran her fastest time of 55.88 seconds to win the NCAA final.

After college, she improved her personal best time to 55.46 seconds at a competition in Zagreb. She then earned a bronze medal at the 2001 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of these amazing achievements, Brenda received the 2000–01 Honda Sports Award. This award recognizes the best women's college track athlete.

Competing on the World Stage

Brenda's strong performance at the national championships helped her get selected for the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. At this big event, she finished sixth in her semi-final race. The next year, she again placed third in the 400 meter hurdles at the national championships.

In 2003, Brenda started the season by finishing fourth in the 400 metres at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. This result earned her a spot on the 4 × 400-meter relay team for the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships. There, the American team, including Brenda, won a bronze medal.

Fair Play in Sports

During the outdoor season, Brenda won the Mt. SAC Relays. She also finished third at the Outdoor U.S. Championships again. At these championships, she learned about the challenges of fair play in sports. She was offered a substance that was not allowed for athletes. Brenda stated that she did not take it. Some other competitors were later banned for using such substances.

Brenda was chosen to compete at the 2003 Pan American Games. She finished fourth in the 400 meter hurdles final. She also competed in Europe, placing third in Zagreb and fourth at the Weltklasse Zurich. In Zurich, she set a new personal record of 54.92 seconds. She also qualified for the 2003 IAAF World Athletics Final and finished fifth.

Olympic Dreams Come True

The year 2004 was a highlight in Brenda's athletic career. She won the Mt. SAC Relays with a new meet record. She also set a personal best time of 54.36 seconds, finishing second at the Golden Spike Ostrava event.

At the 2004 United States Olympic Trials, Brenda improved even more. She finished as the runner-up with an amazing time of 53.36 seconds. This earned her a spot on the Olympic team for the first time! Brenda then focused on the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Brenda reached the Olympic hurdles final. She finished in seventh place with a time of 54.97 seconds. She ended the season by winning a bronze medal at the 2004 IAAF World Athletics Final. Her new best time of 53.36 seconds made her the fifth fastest 400 meter hurdler in 2004.

Brenda Taylor has a twin sister named Lindsay Taylor. Lindsay also competes in track and field, specializing in the pole vault. Brenda stopped competing professionally after 2004.

Brenda Taylor's Best Times

Here are some of Brenda Taylor's fastest times in different events:

• This information comes from her official IAAF profile.

Competition Results

Here is a summary of Brenda Taylor's results in major competitions:

See also

In Spanish: Brenda Taylor para niños