Dalilah Muhammad facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dalilah Muhammad

Muhammad at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1990-02-07) February 7, 1990 (age 35) Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Education	Benjamin N. Cardozo High School
Alma mater	University of Southern California
Height	5 ft 8 in
Weight	55 kg (121 lb)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Athletics (track and field)
Event(s)	400 m hurdles
Achievements and titles
World finals	2013 Moscow 400 m hurdles, 2 Silver 2017 London 400 m hurdles, 2 Silver 2019 Doha 400 m hurdles, 1 Gold 4 × 400 m relay, 1 Gold 2022 Eugene 400 m hurdles, 3 Bronze
Olympic finals	2016 Rio de Janeiro 400 m hurdles, 1 Gold 2020 Tokyo 400 m hurdles, 2 Silver 4 × 400 m relay, 1 Gold
Medal record Women's athletics Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 400 m hurdles Gold 2020 Tokyo 4 × 400 m relay Silver 2020 Tokyo 400 m hurdles World Championships Gold 2019 Doha 400 m hurdles Gold 2019 Doha 4 × 400 m relay Silver 2013 Moscow 400 m hurdles Silver 2017 London 400 m hurdles Bronze 2022 Eugene 400 m hurdles Diamond League 2017 400 m hurdles 2018 400 m hurdles World Youth Championships Gold 2007 Ostrava 400 m hurdles Gold 2007 Ostrava Medley relay Pan American Junior Championships Silver 2009 Port of Spain 400 m hurdles

Dalilah Muhammad, born on February 7, 1990, is an American track and field athlete. She is best known for running the 400 meters hurdles. Dalilah won a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She also earned a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the Tokyo Games, she became the second-fastest woman ever in her event.

Dalilah also won gold at the 2019 World Athletics Championships. She even set a new world record of 52.16 seconds. She is one of only two female 400m hurdlers to win an Olympic title, a World title, and break the world record. She also helped her team win gold in the 4 × 400 metres relay at both the 2019 World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics.

Dalilah won the 400m hurdles at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics. She also placed second at the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. In college, she ran for the USC Trojans team. She was a four-time All-American athlete. Dalilah also won the American national championship three times. She was a two-time winner of the Diamond League series.

Early Life and School Years

Dalilah Muhammad was born on February 7, 1990. Her parents are Nadirah and Askia Muhammad. She grew up in Jamaica, Queens, New York City.

High School Track and Field

Dalilah competed in many track and field events in high school. These included hurdles, sprints, and high jump. She went to Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens. In 2008, she won the 400m hurdles titles for New York State. She also won at the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

Dalilah gained her first international experience early on. She won the gold medal in the 400m hurdles at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics. In 2007, she was named Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year for New York State.

College Athletics at USC

In 2008, Dalilah went to the University of Southern California. She received a sports scholarship and studied business. She joined the USC Trojans track team. In her first year, she was runner-up in the 400m hurdles at the Pacific-10 Conference meet. She finished third in the 400m hurdles final at the NCAA Outdoor Championship.

She won the national junior title that year. She also earned a silver medal at the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. In 2011, she finished sixth in the 400m hurdles final at the NCAA Championships. By 2012, she was the school's third-fastest 400m hurdler. She ended her college career as a four-time NCAA All-American.

Professional Track Career

After college, Dalilah became a professional 400m hurdler. In 2013, she improved her personal best time. She ran 54.74 seconds in her first IAAF Diamond League race. She then won a race in Italy. She also placed third at the Bislett Games in Norway.

At the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she won her first national title. She ran 53.83 seconds, which was a new personal best. Dalilah has been sponsored by Nike since 2013.

Muhammad (right) winning the 400m hurdles final at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In 2016, Dalilah won the 400m hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Her time was 52.88 seconds. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal. This made her the second American woman to win gold in the 400m hurdles.

The next year, she won the 2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She set a new personal best of 52.64 seconds. Dalilah then won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics. She also won the 2017 and 2018 Diamond League titles.

Breaking World Records

Dalilah Muhammad broke the 400m hurdles world record in 2019. She did this at the 2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Her time was 52.20 seconds. This beat the old record by 0.14 seconds. She was only the second woman in history to win an Olympic title and break the world record in this event.

In September 2019, the IAAF officially confirmed her time as the world record. She then won the gold medal at the 2019 World Championships in Athletics. She improved her own world record to 52.16 seconds. At the end of 2019, she received the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award. She was also named World Women's Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News.

At the 2019 Doha World Championships, Dalilah Muhammad (right) set a new world record.

Dalilah Muhammad running hurdles at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.

Track Statistics and Achievements

Dalilah Muhammad has achieved many great things in her career. Her personal best in the 400m hurdles is 51.58 seconds. This makes her the third-fastest woman of all time in the event.

Personal Best Times

International Competitions

Dalilah has won many medals for the United States.

Representing the  United States

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
2007	World Youth Championships	Ostrava, Czech Republic	1st	400 m hurdles	57.25
			1st	Medley relay	2:08.38
2009	Pan American Junior Championships	Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago	2nd	400 m hurdles	58.42
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	2nd	400 m hurdles	54.09
2016	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	1st	400 m hurdles	53.13
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	2nd	400 m hurdles	53.50
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	1st	400 m hurdles	52.16	WR
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:18.92
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	2nd	400 m hurdles	51.58	PB
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:16.85
2022	World Championships	Eugene, OR, United States	3rd	400 m hurdles	53.13	SB
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	9th (sf)	400 m hurdles	54.19

National Championships

Dalilah has also done very well in national competitions.

Awards and Recognition

• World Athletics Awards
  • World Athlete of the Year (Women)：2019

See also

In Spanish: Dalilah Muhammad para niños

• Muslim women in sport