Melaine Walker

Walker at the 2009 World Championships
Personal information
Born	1 March 1983 (age 38)
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight	53 kg (117 lb)
Sport
Country	Jamaica
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	400m Hurdles
hide Medal record Olympic Games 2008 Beijing 400 m hurdles World Championships 2009 Berlin 400 m hurdles 2011 Daegu 400 m hurdles World Junior Championships 2000 Santiago 4×400 m relay 2002 Kingston 400 m hurdles 1998 Annecy 4×400 m relay 2000 Santiago 400 m hurdles World Youth Championships 1999 Bydgoszcz 200 m Central American and Caribbean Games 2006 Cartagena 4×400 m relay 2006 Cartagena 400 m hurdles CAC Junior Championships (U20) 2000 San Juan 400 m hurdles 2000 San Juan 4×400 m relay CAC Junior Championships (U17) 1998 George Town 200 m 1998 George Town 4×100 m relay 1998 George Town 4×400 m relay CARIFTA Games Junior (U20) 2001 Bridgetown 400 m hurdles 2001 Bridgetown 4×100 m relay 2002 Nassau 400 m hurdles 2001 Bridgetown 100 m hurdles 2002 Nassau 200 m CARIFTA Games Youth (U17) 1998 Port of Spain 200 m 1999 Fort-de-France 200 m 1999 Fort-de-France 100 m hurdles 1998 Port of Spain 100 m 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. 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 was the second fastest time in history at time and still stands as the fifth fastest time in history, placing her at #4 on the all-time list.

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 newcomer Kaliese Spencer and qualifying for her first World Championships in Athletics.^[3]

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Jamaica
1998	World Junior Championships	Annecy, France	5th	200 m	23.72 (wind: -1.1 m/s)
			3rd	4 × 100 m relay	44.61
1999	World Youth Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	2nd	200 m	23.72 (wind: -0.1 m/s)
			6th	100 m hurdles (76.2 cm)	13.80 (wind: -0.4 m/s)
2000	World Junior Championships	Santiago, Chile	3rd	400 m hurdles	56.96
			2nd	4 × 400 m relay	3:33.99
2002	World Junior Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	5th	100m hurdles	13.66 w (wind: +3.4 m/s)
			2nd	400m hurdles	56.03
2004	NACAC U-23 Championships	Sherbrooke, Canada	5th	100m hurdles	13.86 (wind: +0.0 m/s)
2006	Central American and Caribbean Games	Cartagena, Colombia	3rd	400 m hurdles	55.97
			2nd	4 × 400 m relay	3:32.86
2007	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	3rd	400 m hurdles	54.31
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	1st	400 m hurdles	52.64
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	1st	400 m hurdles	54.06
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	400 m hurdles	52.42
	IAAF World Athletics Final	Thesaloniki, Greece	1st	400 m hurdles	53.36

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)