Kristi Castlin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kristi Castlin

Castlin in 2014
Personal information
Born	(1988-07-07) July 7, 1988 (age 36) Atlanta, Georgia
Residence	Los Angeles
Height	5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m)
Weight	133 pounds (60 kg)
Sport
Club	HSInternational Sports Management
Team	Nike
Medal record Olympic Games Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m hurdles NACAC Junior Championships Silver 2008 Toluca 100 m hurdles Pan American Junior Championships Gold 2007 São Paulo 100 m hurdles

Kristi Castlin (born July 7, 1988) is an American track and field athlete. She is best known for running in the 100 metres hurdles race. Kristi won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Her fastest time in the 100 metres hurdles is 12.50 seconds. She set this record on July 8, 2016. This amazing run helped her qualify for the 2016 Olympics. She also holds a world record in the shuttle hurdle relay. This was set in 2013 with a time of 50.78 seconds.

Kristi went to Virginia Tech for college. There, she earned seven All-America honors in NCAA championships. She was later added to the Virginia Tech sports hall of fame.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Kristi wore a traditional Hindu bindi. She won a bronze medal in the women's 100 metres hurdles. Her teammates, Brianna Rollins and Nia Ali, won gold and silver. This was a historic moment, as American women swept all three medals in this event. It was the only time this happened in the 2016 Olympic Athletics program.

Kristi's Early Life and Start in Sports

Kristi Castlin was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She didn't start track and field until she was 14 years old. She became interested when she realized she was faster than her friends.

While in high school, she set a Georgia state record. Her time for the 100 metres hurdles was 13.73 seconds. Kristi was also a great student. She graduated in the top five percent of her class. Her athletic skills helped her get a scholarship to Virginia Tech. She studied political science there and graduated in 2010.

College Sports Career

Kristi started her college career strong at Virginia Tech. In her first indoor season, she broke school records. These were for the 60 metres hurdles (8.20 seconds) and 55 metres hurdles (7.61 seconds). She earned "All-American" honors for her ninth-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Outdoors, she set an American junior (under-20) record. She ran the 100 metres hurdles in 12.91 seconds. Kristi won the ACC Outdoor Championships. She also placed ninth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. After winning the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she made her international debut. At the 2007 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, she won a gold medal. She set a championship record of 13.02 seconds.

Kristi kept getting better in 2008. She broke two more school records in indoor hurdles. She finished second at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships. Outdoors, she won the ACC 100 metres hurdles title. She ran her fastest time of the season, 12.81 seconds. This time ranked her 25th in the world that year. She won a silver medal at the 2008 NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics.

In her third college season, she won ACC hurdles titles both indoors and outdoors. She finished second at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In her final year (2010), she was runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Kristi finished her college career with four ACC titles. She also earned eight All-American honors.

Kristi's Professional Journey

Castlin (left) racing against Cindy Billaud at a meet in 2014.

After college, Kristi became a professional athlete. She signed a sponsorship with Adidas. In 2012, she won her first national title. This was at the 2012 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She set a personal record of 7.84 seconds in the 60 metres hurdles. This was the second fastest time in the world that year. This win helped her get selected for the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships. This was her first time competing at a senior international event.

At the 2012 Olympic Trials, she reached the semi-finals. She also did very well in the 2012 IAAF Diamond League circuit. She improved her personal record to 12.56 seconds. This time ranked her sixth in the world for 2012.

In 2013, Kristi set a world record in the shuttle hurdle relay. This happened at the Florida Relays. Her team, which included Nia Ali, Yvette Lewis, and Queen Harrison, finished in 50.78 seconds.

In 2014, she broke Brianna Rollins' long winning streak. Kristi ran 12.571 seconds at the Drake Relays. This was her fastest time of the season. She also defeated both Rollins (the world champion) and Sally Pearson (the Olympic champion) in July.

During the 2016 Olympic Trials, Kristi placed second in the 100 m hurdles. Her time was 12.50 seconds. This allowed her to represent the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.

At the Rio Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the 100 m hurdles. Her time was 12.61 seconds. She finished just behind her American teammates, Brianna Rollins (gold) and Nia Ali (silver). This was a historic moment for the United States. It was the first time American women had won all three medals in any Olympic track and field event.

Kristi's Best Times

Here are Kristi Castlin's fastest times in different races:

Outdoor

• 100-meter hurdles – 12.50 seconds (2016)

Indoor

• 50-meter hurdles – 6.81 seconds (2012)
• 55-meter hurdles – 7.37 seconds (2012)
• 60-meter hurdles – 7.84 seconds (2012)
• 200-meter dash – 24.61 seconds (2008)

National Wins

• USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
  • 60-meter hurdles: 2012

International Competitions