Melaine Walker (born 1 March 1983) is a Jamaican 400 metres hurdler. She was born in Kingston. Walker is the former Olympic 400 m hurdles champion.Lewis, Richard (2009-08-20) "For Walker, World record assault next item on the agenda? ". IAAF. Retrieved 2009-08-21. She held 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 the time.
Biography Walker is a past student of the St. Jago High School. Competing for the Texas Longhorns women's track and field team, Walker won the 2005 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 4 × 400 m relay.
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.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.
On 20 August 2009, she set the second fastest time in history of 52.42 seconds to win the women's 400 m hurdles final at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. 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.Emily Benammar, "World Athletics: Berlino the Bear drops Olympic champion Melanie Walker", The Daily Telegraph, 21 Aug 2009
Achievements Representing 1998World Junior ChampionshipsAnnecy, France 5th200 m23.72 (wind: -1.1 m/s) 3rd4 × 100 m relay44.611999World Youth ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland 2nd200 m23.72 (wind: -0.1 m/s) 6th100 m hurdles (76.2 cm)13.80 (wind: -0.4 m/s)2000World Junior ChampionshipsSantiago, Chile 3rd400 m hurdles56.96 2nd4 × 400 m relay3:33.992002World Junior ChampionshipsKingston, Jamaica5th100 m hurdles13.66 w (wind: +3.4 m/s)2nd400 m hurdles56.032004NACAC U-23 ChampionshipsSherbrooke, Canada5th100 m hurdles13.86 (wind: +0.0 m/s)2006Central American and Caribbean GamesCartagena, Colombia 3rd400 m hurdles55.97 2nd4 × 400 m relay3:32.862007World Athletics FinalStuttgart, Germany 3rd400 m hurdles54.312008Olympic GamesBeijing, China1st400 m hurdles52.64World Athletics FinalStuttgart, Germany 1st400 m hurdles54.062009World ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany 1st400 m hurdles52.42IAAF World Athletics FinalThessaloniki, Greece 1st400 m hurdles53.36
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)
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