Melaine Walker

Melaine Walker

Walker at the 2009 World Championships
Personal information
Born	(1983-01-01) January 1, 1983
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight	53 kg (117 lb)
Sport
Country	Jamaica
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	400m Hurdles
Medal record Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 400 m hurdles World Championships Gold 2009 Berlin 400 m hurdles Silver 2011 Daegu 400 m hurdles World Junior Championships Silver 2000 Santiago 4×400 m relay Silver 2002 Kingston 400 m hurdles Bronze 1998 Annecy 4×400 m relay Bronze 2000 Santiago 400 m hurdles World Youth Championships Silver 1999 Bydgoszcz 200 m Central American and Caribbean Games Silver 2006 Cartagena 4×400 m relay Bronze 2006 Cartagena 400 m hurdles CAC Junior Championships (U20) Gold 2000 San Juan 400 m hurdles Gold 2000 San Juan 4x400 m relay CAC Junior Championships (U17) Gold 1998 George Town 200 m Gold 1998 George Town 4x100 m relay Gold 1998 George Town 4x400 m relay CARIFTA Games Junior (U20) Gold 2001 Bridgetown 400 m hurdles Gold 2001 Bridgetown 4x100 m relay Gold 2002 Nassau 400 m hurdles Silver 2001 Bridgetown 100 m hurdles Bronze 2002 Nassau 200 m CARIFTA Games Youth (U17) Gold 1998 Port of Spain 200 m Gold 1999 Fort-de-France 200 m Gold 1999 Fort-de-France 100 m hurdles Silver 1998 Port of Spain 100 m Bronze 1998 Port of Spain 100 m hurdles

Melaine Walker O.D (born 1 January 1983, Kingston) is a Jamaican 400 metres hurdler. Walker is the former Olympic 400 m hurdles champion.^[1] She holds the Olympic record of 52.64, set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and her time of 52.42 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin is the second fastest time in history.^[1]

Biography

Walker is a past student of the St. Jago High School. She won Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in a new Olympic record time of 52.64 seconds. Walker won the Jamaica national championships in 54.70 seconds, narrowly beating new-comer Kaliese Spencer and qualifying for her first World Championships in Athletics.^[2]

On 20 August 2009, she set the second fastest time in history of 52.42 seconds to win the women's 400m hurdles final at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.^[3] She leapt on the back of the mascot Berlino the Bear to do a victory lap but Berlino crashed into a cart of hurdles and dropped her.^[4]

Achievements

Personal bests

• 60 metres hurdles – 8.05 s (2006, indoor)
• 100 metres hurdles – 12.75 s (2006)
• 400 metres hurdles – 52.42 s (2009)
• 60 metres – 7.40 s (2005, indoor)
• 200 metres – 23.67 s (1998)
• 400 metres – 51.61 s (2008)

References

• Melaine Walker profile at IAAF

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lewis, Richard (2009-08-20) "For Walker, World record assault next item on the agenda?". IAAF. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
2. ↑ Foster, Anthony (2009-06-28). Bolt 9.86 and Fraser 10.88; Walker and Phillips excel over hurdles – JAM Champs , Day 2. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-06-28.
3. ↑ "Walker storms to 400m hurdle gold". BBC Sport. 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2009-08-20. 
4. ↑ Emily Benammar, "World Athletics: Berlino the Bear drops Olympic champion Melanie Walker", The Daily Telegraph, 21 Aug 2009