Jeff Porter facts for kids

Jeffrey Issack Porter (born November 27, 1985) is an American track and field athlete. He is famous for competing in the 110-meter hurdles race. His fastest time in this event is 13.08 seconds.

Jeffrey earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in 2012. He did this by finishing third at the Olympic Trials. He made the Olympic team again in 2016, also finishing third. On June 25, 2017, he announced he was retiring from the sport.

Before becoming a professional, he competed for the University of Michigan. He won the 2007 NCAA indoor championship in the 60-meter hurdles. He also represented the U.S. at the 2011 Pan American Games, where he placed fourth. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he reached the semi-finals.

Early Life and College Years

Jeffrey Porter was born in Summit, New Jersey. He grew up in Somerset, part of Franklin Township. He went to Franklin High School and graduated in 2003. During high school, he was a top young hurdler in America. In 2001, he won the 110-meter hurdles at the AAU Junior Olympics.

He received a special scholarship to study kinesiology at the University of Michigan. In 2004, his first year, he won the Big Ten Conference indoor title in the 60-meter hurdles. He also came in second at the Big Ten Outdoor meet that year.

In 2006, Porter finished second at the Big Ten Indoor meet. He then placed fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championship. He set a new personal best time of 7.77 seconds. He also won his first Big Ten Outdoor title in the 110-meter hurdles.

In his final year at Michigan, he continued to improve. He won his first NCAA title in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.64 seconds. Outdoors, he won the Big Ten title with a best time of 13.70 seconds. He ran his fastest 110-meter hurdles race in college, 13.57 seconds, at the NCAA Outdoors. He finished fourth in the final. That year, he also competed in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time.

Becoming a Professional Athlete

Jeffrey Porter started competing in Europe in 2008. He ran a personal best of 13.47 seconds at the Golden Spike Ostrava meet. However, he didn't perform as well at the U.S. Olympic Trials that year.

In 2010, he earned his first national medal. He won a bronze medal in the 60-meter hurdles at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. He set a new personal record of 7.62 seconds.

The year 2011 was strong for Porter. He won several indoor races in Europe. He also improved his outdoor times, running 13.26 seconds at the U.S. Championships. He finished fifth in the final. Later that year, he represented the U.S. at the Pan American Games. He finished fourth in the hurdles event.

Olympic Dreams and Retirement

The 2012 season started well for Jeffrey Porter. He won the BW-Bank Meeting in Germany with a record time of 7.54 seconds. He then ran under 13.3 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles at the Golden Spike Ostrava meet. His wife, Tiffany Porter, also won her hurdles race at the same event.

He reached his first Diamond League podium in June 2012. He finished second at the New York's adidas Grand Prix with a time of 13.26 seconds. His biggest achievement came at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. He ran 13.19 seconds in the semi-finals. Then, in the final, he set a new personal record of 13.08 seconds. This amazing run earned him the third spot on the U.S. Olympic team. He surprised many by beating other top hurdlers.

In 2016, Jeffrey Porter competed at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials again. He ran 13.21 seconds, which was the same time as the second-place runner. He secured his spot on the Olympic team for the second time.

On June 25, 2017, Jeffrey Porter announced his retirement from track and field.

Family Life

Jeffrey Porter is married to another talented hurdler, Tiffany Porter. Tiffany competes internationally for Great Britain. Their family follows the Catholic faith.