Carmelita Jeter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carmelita Jeter

Jeter at the 2011 World Championships
Personal information
Born	(1979-11-24) November 24, 1979 (age 45) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Weight	135 lb (61 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Running
Event(s)	100 meters, 200 meters
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 1 1 World Championships 3 1 3 World Indoor Championships 0 1 0 World Athletics Final 2 0 0 Total 6 3 4 Olympic Games Gold 2012 London 4 × 100 m relay Silver 2012 London 100 m Bronze 2012 London 200 m World Championships Gold 2007 Osaka 4 × 100 m relay Gold 2011 Daegu 100 m Gold 2011 Daegu 4 × 100 m relay Silver 2011 Daegu 200 m Bronze 2007 Osaka 100 m Bronze 2009 Berlin 100 m Bronze 2013 Moscow 100 m World Indoor Championships Silver 2010 Doha 60 m World Relay Championships Silver 2015 Nassau 4 × 100 m relay World Athletics Final Gold 2007 Stuttgart 100 m Gold 2009 Thessaloniki 100 m

Carmelita Jeter (pronounced JET-ter), born on November 24, 1979, is a super-fast American runner who used to compete in sprint races. She ran in the 60-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter events.

For many years, from 2009 to 2021, people called Carmelita the "Fastest woman alive"! This was because she ran the 100-meter race in an amazing 10.64 seconds at a big event in Shanghai in 2009. She became the world champion in the 100-meter race in 2011. At the 2012 Olympic Games, she won a silver medal in the 100-meter race.

Carmelita also won a bronze medal in the 100-meter race at the 2007 World Championships. She earned a gold medal at the World Athletics Final in the same year. In 2009, she won another bronze medal at the World Championships. Her personal best time of 10.64 seconds makes her one of the fastest women ever in the 100-meter dash. Only a few other runners have been faster than her.

In May 2023, Carmelita Jeter became the head coach for the track and field and cross country teams at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

Carmelita Jeter's Early Life and Training

Carmelita Jeter was born on November 24, 1979. She grew up in Torrance, California, and went to Bishop Montgomery High School.

Discovering a Talent for Running

At first, basketball was the main sport in her family. Her younger brother, Eugene, even played for the Sacramento Kings later on. Carmelita's basketball coach saw her speed and suggested she try track. She ran 100 meters in just 11.7 seconds, which showed she was a natural runner!

College and Overcoming Challenges

Carmelita went to California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. She earned a degree in physical education. While there, she set a record for winning the most medals in track for her university. She was also the first athlete from her university to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

For a few years, from 2003 to 2005, Carmelita had a problem with her hamstring (a muscle in her leg). This injury kept her from competing much. But after getting special treatment, she was able to return to the sport in 2007 and start making a big impact.

Carmelita Jeter's International Success

Jeter at the 2007 World Championships

In 2007, Carmelita Jeter started to shine on the world stage. She won a silver medal in the 60-meter race at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She also improved her 100-meter time to 11.04 seconds.

First Major Competitions

She qualified for her first big competition by finishing third at the national championships. Then, she won a bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics with a personal best time of 11.02 seconds. She also won a gold medal in the 100-meter race at the 2007 World Athletics Final.

Changes and New Coaches

In 2008, Carmelita competed in the U.S. Olympic trials for both the 100-meter and 200-meter races. Even though she ran her fastest 100-meter race yet (10.97 seconds), she didn't make it to the 2008 Summer Olympics team. She finished fourth and fifth in her races at the 2008 World Athletics Final.

After this, she decided to change coaches in November. She started working with John Smith, who had coached other famous sprinters. Smith helped Carmelita completely change her running style to make her even faster.

Amazing Runs in 2009

In 2009, Carmelita had an incredible season. She ran the 60-meter race in 7.11 seconds indoors, which was the fastest time by any athlete that year. Outdoors, she continued to run fast, winning her first national title at the U.S. Outdoor Championships.

At the London Grand Prix, she won the 100-meter race with a new personal best of 10.92 seconds. This was one of the fastest times in the world that season. Before the World Championships, Carmelita was part of a U.S. 4 × 100 meter relay team that ran super fast. They finished in 41.58 seconds, which was one of the fastest times ever for a women's sprint relay.

Jeter running in the World Championships in Berlin

World Championships and Record-Breaking Speed

At the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Carmelita was expected to win a gold medal. She ran a personal best of 10.83 seconds in the semifinals, making her the fastest qualifier for the final. However, she ended up winning her second World Championship bronze medal in the 100-meter race.

After the championships, she did even better. She won races in Zurich and Brussels, running under 10.90 seconds. She was also chosen to be the anchor runner for the U.S. relay team. Unfortunately, during their race, one of her teammates got injured, and the team was out of the competition.

Carmelita then went to the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final. She surprised everyone by winning the 100-meter race in Thessaloniki, Greece, with an amazing time of 10.67 seconds. This made her the third fastest woman in history at that time! It was the fastest run in twelve years and much faster than she had ever run before. A week later, she ran even faster at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix, winning in 10.64 seconds. This made her the second fastest woman ever in the 100-meter dash!

Retirement from Running

Carmelita Jeter retired from competitive running in 2017. She had an injury that kept her from competing in the 2016 Olympics.

Carmelita Jeter's Best Times

Jeter at the 2009 World Championships

Here are Carmelita Jeter's fastest times in different running events:

See also

In Spanish: Carmelita Jeter para niños