Tasha Danvers facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 19 September 1977 Lambeth, London |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Great Britain |
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| Sport | Women's athletics | ||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) |
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| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||
| World finals | 2007 World Championships – 8th | ||||||||||||||||
| Olympic finals | 2000– 8th 2008 – 3rd |
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| Highest world ranking | 6 (2006/2007) | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 400 m hurdles: 53.84 s | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Updated on 20 January 2007. | |||||||||||||||||
Tasha De'Anka Danvers (born 19 September 1977) is a British Olympic athlete. She won a bronze medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tasha was born in London. Her parents, Dorrett McKoy and Donald Danvers, were also athletes. They moved to the United Kingdom from Jamaica when they were children.
Contents
Tasha Danvers' Athletics Career
Tasha Danvers started her international athletics career representing Great Britain. She gained important experience at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. This helped her prepare for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Early Olympic and University Success
At just 23 years old, Tasha reached the final of her first Olympic Games in Sydney. She finished in 8th place in the 400m hurdles. The next year, she won the 400m hurdles at the 2001 Summer Universiade, a major competition for university athletes.
While studying at the University of Southern California (USC), Tasha was a star athlete. She won several titles in the Pac-10 conference. She competed in many events, including the high jump and 100m hurdles. In 2000, she won the NCAA title. She still holds the USC school record for the 400m hurdles and the 4x400 metres relay. She is also in the top 10 for the 100m hurdles and high jump. In February 2007, Tasha was honored by being added to the USC Hall of Fame.
Competing in Major Games
In 2002, Tasha competed in her first Commonwealth Games in Manchester. She finished 7th in the 400m hurdles final. Later that year, she also placed 7th at the 2002 European Championships in Athletics.
In 2003, Tasha married her coach, Darrell Smith. For a few years, she competed as Tasha Danvers-Smith. She later returned to using her maiden name, Tasha Danvers.
Comeback and Olympic Glory
Tasha took a break from competing to have a child. Many people thought she might not return to professional athletics. However, she made a strong comeback in 2006. She won a silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. She also finished 7th at the 2006 European Athletics Championships. By the end of 2006, she was ranked 6th in the world, her highest ranking ever.
In 2007, Tasha reached her first World Championship final. She finished 8th, but her performance showed she was back among the world's best. She ended the season ranked 10th globally and was the top 400m hurdler in Britain for the second year in a row.
The 2008 season started with injuries for Tasha, including problems with her Achilles tendon and a torn hamstring. Despite these setbacks, she was selected for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Many people doubted her selection because of her injuries. However, Tasha proved them wrong. She won her heat and finished second in her semi-final, qualifying for the 400m hurdles final as the fourth fastest runner.
In the final, Tasha ran an incredible race. She pushed hard in the final stretch, a part of the race that had been difficult for her before. She won a bronze medal with her personal best time of 53.84 seconds. This was a huge achievement!
Retirement from Athletics
After her Olympic success, Tasha faced more injury problems. She missed the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. In June 2012, Tasha Danvers officially retired from competitive athletics due to her ongoing injuries. In 2010, she was honored by being inducted into the London Youth Games Hall of Fame.
Other Interests and Talents
Tasha Danvers is not just an athlete; she is also a talented artist. She is a member of Art of the Olympians (AOTO), an organization for Olympians who are also artists. Tasha has been singing since she was young and now paints canvases, with her artwork available for sale.
She is also a public speaker, a coach, and a personal trainer. Tasha has also worked as a fitness model. When she was younger, she competed for Croydon in the London Youth Games. She has even appeared on the BBC's sports quiz show, A Question of Sport. In 2015, Tasha was a contestant on the American TV show Bullseye.
Tasha Danvers' Performance at Major Games
| Championship | Event | Heat | Semi-final | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| 1999 World Championships | 400m Hurdles | 56.22 s | 6 | Did not advance | |||
| 2000 Olympics | 400m Hurdles | 55.68 | 54.95 | 55.00 | 8 | ||
| 2000 Olympics | 4 × 400 m Relay | 3:25.28 | 1* | 3:25.67 | 6 | ||
| 2001 World Championships | 400m Hurdles | 56.36 | 4 | Did not advance | |||
| 2001 World Championships | 4 × 400 m Relay | 3:25.25 | 2* | 3:26.94 | 5 | ||
| 2002 European Championships | 400m Hurdles | 56.55 | 4 | 56.93 | 7 | ||
| 2003 World Championships | 400m Hurdles | 56.02 | 4 | 55.48 | 7 | Did not advance | |
| 2003 World Championships | 4 × 400 m Relay | 3:26.44 | 2* | 3:26.67 | 6 | ||
| 2006 European Championships | 400m Hurdles | 55.64 | 2 | 55.17 | 3 | 55.56 | 7 |
| 2007 World Championships | 400m Hurdles | 55.67 | 3 | 54.08 | 2 | 54.94 | 8 |
| 2008 Olympics | 400 m hurdles | 55.19 | 1 | 54.31 | 2 | 53.84 |  |
- Danvers only competed in the final, and did not run a leg in the heat.
Personal Best Records
These are Tasha Danvers' best times and distances in various events:
- 300 m: 37.80 seconds (2000)
- 400 m: 52.89 seconds (2008)
- 100 m hurdles: 12.96 seconds (2003)
- 400 m hurdles: 53.84 seconds (2008)
- High jump: 1.82 meters (1998)
See also
In Spanish: Tasha Danvers para niños
