Nia Ali facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nia Ali

Ali at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Nia Ali
Nationality	American
Born	(1988-10-23) October 23, 1988 (age 35) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in
Weight	143 lbs
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	100 metres hurdles
College team	USC Trojans
Team	Nike
Turned pro	2011
Coached by	John Coghlan
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	2016
Personal best(s)	100 metres hurdles: 12.30
Medal record Women's track and field Representing  United States Olympic Games Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m hurdles World Championships Gold 2019 Doha 100 m hurdles World Indoor Championships Gold 2014 Sopot 60 m hurdles Gold 2016 Portland 60 m hurdles World University Games Gold 2011 Shenzhen 100 m hurdles

Nia Ali (born October 23, 1988) is an American track and field athlete, who specializes in the 100 m hurdles, heptathlon, and other events.

She is the 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist in the 100-meter hurdles, the 2019 World champion in the 100-meter hurdles, and twice in a row world indoor champion (2014 Sopot and 2016 Portland) in 60 meters hurdles.

Early life

Raised in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and attending West Catholic Preparatory High School, Ali moved to Pleasantville, New Jersey for her senior year and graduated from Pleasantville High School in 2006.

Career

NCAA

In college, Ali was the 2011 NCAA leader and NCAA champion for the USC Trojans in the 100 m hurdles in a time of (2.1w) 12.63. Ali formerly competed for the Tennessee Volunteers (then the Lady Volunteers) where she was Southeastern Conference champion in the heptathlon and at USC she was an All-American in the heptathlon.

Professional

Nia Ali with her son after winning the 2016 World Indoor Championships

Ali was selected to represent the U.S. in Shenzhen, China for the World University Games where she won the Gold Medal in a time of 12.85.

At the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Ali took third in the 100 m hurdles to qualify for the 2013 World Championships in Athletics. At the World Championships, Ali was a semi-finalist in the 100 m hurdles, ultimately finishing 10th.

At the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Ali took eighth in the 100 m hurdles.

She won the 60 meters hurdles at the 2013 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico in a personal best of 7.93 and repeated the year later with a new personal best of 7.80, which also qualified her for the 2014 World Indoor Championships where she took the gold medal running 7.80 a second time.

In 2015, Nia took a year off to give birth to her son with hurdler Michael Tinsley.

She returned to the 2016 World Indoor Championships to successfully defend her gold medal. After winning, she carried her son on the victory lap.

Ali placed third in the 100 hurdles in a time of 12.55 at the 2016 United States Olympic Trials behind Team USA teammates Brianna Rollins, Kristi Castlin to qualify to represent the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. Later that year she won the silver medal at the Olympics. The United States was the first country to win gold, silver, and bronze in the women's 100 hurdles in one Olympics in 2016; this was also the first time American women achieved such a sweep in any Olympic track and field event.

In 2019, Nia won the gold-medal for 100m hurdles at the IAAF world championships (DOHA, Qatar) with a personal-best time of 12.34. The time ties her with Sharika Nelvis as the #9 performer of all time.

Personal life

Nia has a son, Titus Maximus, with American Olympian Michael Tinsley, an American track and field athlete specializing in the 400 metres hurdles. In June 2018, she had a daughter with her partner, Canadian Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse, and a second child in May 2021.

See also

In Spanish: Nia Ali para niños