Mark Jelks facts for kids
Jelks at the 2010 Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  United States Nigeria |
| Born | 10 April 1984 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | Sprint |
| Updated on 26 August 2016. | |
Mark Elliott Jelks (born April 10, 1984) is a talented athlete who runs very fast! He specializes in the 100-meter dash, which is a short, super-fast race. Mark has run the 100m in an amazing 9.99 seconds.
He has competed for two different countries. First, he represented the United States at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics. Later, in 2014, he decided to represent Nigeria in international races. He even competed for Nigeria at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Mark also competes in the 60-meter dash, which is an even shorter indoor sprint. He won a national title in this event in 2009.
Contents
Mark's Early Career
Starting Young in Indiana
Mark Jelks was born in Gary, Indiana. He started running track and field when he was young. While attending West Side High School in Gary, he became a four-time high school All-American. This means he was one of the best high school athletes in the country.
In 2005, during high school, he was good enough to qualify for six different events at the state championships. These included all the short running races (sprints) and team running races (relays), plus the long jump.
Becoming a Professional Athlete
After high school, Mark went to Texas Christian University and then Kansas City Kansas Community College. Instead of competing in college sports, he chose to become a professional athlete in 2005. He signed a contract with Nike, a big sports company.
First Professional Races
In his first year as a pro, Mark got much faster. He ran the 60-meter dash in 6.63 seconds. He ran the 100m in 10.02 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 20.58 seconds. He competed in national events for the first time. He finished fourth in the 60m at the USA Indoor Championships. He was fifth in the 100m at the USA Outdoor Championships.
Competing on the World Stage
Mark didn't do as well in 2006. But in 2007, he improved again. He finished third at the Boston Indoor Games in the 60m. He then placed fourth in the 60m at the USA Indoors. Later, he ran a fast 10.04 seconds in the 100m at the USA Outdoors. He finished fourth in the final.
Because the second and third-place runners decided not to go, Mark got the chance to compete at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics. This was his first time competing internationally. Unfortunately, he got injured in his first race in Osaka, Japan, and finished last.
Breaking the 10-Second Barrier
Olympic Trials and National Title
In 2008, Mark competed at the United States Olympic Trials. This is where athletes try to qualify for the Olympics. He ran the 100m in 9.99 seconds, which was his fastest time ever! This was the first time he ran under 10 seconds. He finished third in that race. However, he was slower in the next round and didn't make the Olympic team.
In 2009, Mark started strong in Europe. He won his first national title in the 60m at the USA Indoor Championships. His time of 6.51 seconds was one of the fastest in the world that year.
Outdoor Success and Suspension
During the outdoor season, he won both the 100m and 200m races at a big meeting in Dakar. He also set a new personal best in the 200m, running it in 20.28 seconds. He was invited to the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final, where he finished seventh in the 200m.
In 2010, Mark started the indoor season well, winning a 60m race in Düsseldorf. However, he was later suspended from competing. He had failed to tell the United States Anti-Doping Agency where he was three times in 18 months. Because of this, he received a two-year suspension from August 2010 to 2012.
Representing Nigeria
In 2014, Mark Jelks decided to change which country he would represent in sports. He chose to compete for Nigeria. He quickly showed his talent by winning the Nigerian national championships in the 100 meters in June 2014.
Just a month and a half later, Mark competed for Nigeria for the first time internationally. He made it to the final of the 100 meters at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He also won a gold medal in the 4x100m relay and a silver medal in the 100m at the 2014 African Championships.
