Dawn Harper-Nelson facts for kids
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Harper-Nelson in 2013
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| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 13, 1984 East St. Louis, Illinois |
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| Height | 5 ft 6 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 134 lb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| College team | UCLA Bruins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dawn Harper-Nelson, born on May 13, 1984, is an amazing American athlete. She is famous for her skills in track and field, especially in the 100-meter hurdles race. Dawn won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She also earned a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2017 World Championships.
Dawn made history as the first American 100-meter hurdler to win gold at one Olympics and then medal again in the next. She is coached by Bob Kersee, who is married to the famous Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Both Dawn and Jackie are from East St. Louis, Illinois. In 2022, Dawn was honored by being inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.
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High School and College Track Career
Dawn Harper showed great talent in track and field during her high school years. In her first year, she won the IHSA 2A state championship. She also broke the Illinois state record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.03 seconds. That same year, she won the 300-meter hurdles.
Overcoming Injuries
During her second year, Dawn faced a big challenge. She injured her knee, tearing her posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and meniscus. Even with these injuries, she still won a silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles. However, her coach decided it was best for her to not compete in the 300-meter hurdle finals.
In her third year, Dawn broke her own Illinois state record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.54 seconds. This record still stands today! In her final year of high school, she won her third state title in the 100-meter hurdles and also won the 300-meter hurdles. Dawn graduated from East St. Louis Senior High as a 6-time state champion.
College Achievements
While attending UCLA, Dawn continued to shine. She won the sprint hurdles at the US Junior Championships. She also won at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. In 2004, she earned All-American honors twice at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship. She finished eighth in the 100-meter hurdles final and helped her team take second place in the 4 × 100-meter relay.
Olympic Journey and World Championships
Dawn Harper-Nelson has had an incredible career filled with Olympic medals and world titles.
2008: First Olympic Gold
The start of Dawn's 2008 season was tough. She had surgery on her knee in February, just before the outdoor season began. Despite this, four months later, she made her first Olympic team. She barely made it, finishing third by a tiny margin at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
During her training for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Dawn struggled to find sponsors. Luckily, her teammate, Michelle Perry, helped her out by giving her a pair of running spikes. Dawn wore these spikes when she raced in the Olympics.
At 24 years old, Dawn won her first Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles. She set a new personal best time of 12.54 seconds. Her win was a big surprise, especially after some other American favorites faced difficulties. This victory made Dawn famous around the world. She finished 2008 with a third-place finish at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final.
2009: National Title and World Championships
In 2009, Dawn won her first national title in the 100-meter hurdles. She ran a very fast time of 12.36 seconds. Even though it was wind-aided, it was one of the fastest times ever by an American. She also set a personal best of 12.48 seconds in the semi-finals at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin. In the final, she hit a hurdle, which affected her race, and she finished seventh. Later, she won a silver medal at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final. She ended the season ranked second in the world for the 100-meter hurdles.
2010–2011: Comeback from Injury
In 2010, Dawn suffered another knee injury during hurdle practice, which ended her season early. This serious injury required surgery and a long recovery period. She spent all of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 in rehabilitation.
After only four months of training, Dawn made the U.S. team again. She placed third in the 100-meter hurdles at the USA Outdoor Championships. She then earned a bronze medal at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, setting a new personal best of 12.47 seconds.
2012 London Olympics: Silver Medal
Dawn started her 2012 season feeling healthy, which was a great change from previous years. She won races in Guadalupe, Rome, and South Korea. She then went to Eugene, Oregon, for the U.S. Olympic Trials. As the reigning Olympic champion, she was a favorite and won the trials in rainy conditions.
At the 2012 London Olympic Games, Dawn performed incredibly well. She ran a season's best and personal record of 12.46 seconds in the semifinals. In the Olympic final, she made history by running down the other competitors. She lowered her personal best time and tied the Olympic record of 12.37 seconds. She finished just 0.02 seconds behind the gold medalist, earning a silver medal.
After the London Games, Dawn continued her winning streak. She won races in Stockholm, Lausanne, and Zurich. Her win in Zurich earned her the Diamond League Title, which gave her an automatic spot in the 2013 IAAF World Championship. She was also named the All-Athletics.com Female Hurdler of the Year for North & Central America.
2013: A New Name and More Wins
On March 23, 2013, Dawn Harper married her high school friend, Alonzo Nelson, and became Dawn Harper-Nelson. She quickly earned her first victory under her new name in Jamaica. She then improved her world-leading time in Doha, Qatar. She continued her success by winning races in Manchester and Rome.
Because she won the Diamond League Championship in 2012, Dawn-Harper Nelson had an automatic spot on the USA World Championship team for Moscow, Russia. She only needed to run one round at the USATF National Championship to show she was fit. She won her first round in 12.60 seconds.
At the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Dawn-Harper Nelson finished in a disappointing fourth place. This was the first major international championship since 2008 where she did not win a medal. However, she quickly recovered. She went on to win her second Diamond League Title in Brussels, Belgium, with a fast time of 12.48 seconds.
2014: World's Number One
Dawn Harper-Nelson started 2014 strong. She ran her first shuttle hurdle relay at the Drake Relays, setting the world's fastest time of 50.50 seconds. She continued to dominate the Diamond League, winning in Birmingham and setting a world-leading time of 12.44 seconds in Paris. Before the Diamond League final, she defended her USATF National Championship title in Sacramento.
At the Diamond League final in Zurich, Dawn won her third straight Diamond Trophy. She then represented the Americas at the IAAF 2014 Continental Cup in Marrakech, Morocco. She won the Continental Cup with a championship record of 12.47 seconds. Dawn Harper-Nelson finished the 2014 season ranked as the number one 100-meter hurdler in the world!
2015: Another Diamond League Title
As the world's top-ranked hurdler, Dawn Harper-Nelson carried her momentum into 2015. Even though she was the IAAF Diamond League winner, she still had to compete for a spot on the World Championship team. She won her fourth U.S. Championship in a very competitive field.
However, disappointment struck at the World Championships when she hit the second hurdle and fell out of the semifinal. Despite this setback, Dawn quickly bounced back. She went on to win her fourth Diamond League title at the IAAF Brussels Diamond League Final.
2016: Missing the Olympics
In 2016, Dawn Harper-Nelson did not qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She missed the Olympic Trials final by just 0.01 seconds. Despite this, she remained positive, saying she was "grateful" for her amazing career.
2017: World Championships Silver
Dawn Harper-Nelson joined the Worlds team again in 2017. At the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, she won a silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles. She finished in 12.63 seconds, battling against familiar rivals. This was her second medal from an IAAF World Championships race. She shared a special moment with Australia's Sally Pearson, who won the gold, saying, "Me and Sally have just battled it out for years and it's been so great to be here with her."
Personal Life
Dawn Harper-Nelson is the daughter of Henry and Linda Harper. She has two sisters, Keya and Shivani, and two brothers, Bryton and Shiven. She studied at UCLA and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in 2006.
After winning gold at the Beijing Olympics, the Governor of Illinois declared October 6 as Dawn Harper Day. This day honored her victory and her humble beginnings in East St. Louis, Illinois. Her hometown celebrated with a parade and a public gathering.
Community Involvement
In June 2012, Dawn became a spokeswoman for the American Diabetes Association. She is passionate about preventing diabetes because many of her family members have been diagnosed with the disease. She even lost an uncle to diabetes in 2011.
After winning her silver medal at the London Olympics, Dawn Harper-Nelson became an Ambassador for United Way of Greater St. Louis Education Express. Through this program, she encourages the importance of education and mentoring in the St. Louis area. Dawn loves talking to children about their dreams and why education is so important.
Marriage
On March 23, 2013, Dawn married her hometown friend, Alonzo Nelson. They had known each other since meeting on the track in eighth grade. Before their wedding, Dawn appeared on a TV show called Say Yes to the Dress to find her wedding gown. She now uses the name Dawn Harper-Nelson when she competes.
Dawn Harper Day
Dawn Harper Day is a special day declared on October 6, 2008, in the State of Illinois. It celebrates track and field athlete and Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson.
Dawn, who is from Illinois, won the Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the Beijing Olympics on August 19, 2008. Her winning time was 12.54 seconds, which was a personal best for her. She is also the first American 100-meter hurdler in history to win gold at one Olympics and then win another medal in the next Olympics.
The Governor of Illinois, Rod R. Blagojevich, made the official declaration. The day was celebrated with a parade and a public gathering in Dawn's hometown of East St. Louis. This is where Dawn's track and field journey began as a student. It's also where she met her idol, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a three-time Olympic champion who is also from East St. Louis. Jackie Joyner-Kersee's husband, Bob Kersee, is Dawn's coach.
Dawn Harper-Nelson went on to win a silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the London Olympics in 2012. She set another personal record with a time of 12.37 seconds. Before the London Games, she won the U.S. Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon, even though the weather conditions were very wet.
See also
In Spanish: Dawn Harper-Nelson para niños
