Nia Ali

Nia Ali
Ali at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full nameNia Ali
NationalityAmerican
Born (1988-10-23) October 23, 1988 (age 36)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight143 lb (65 kg)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportTrack and field
Event100 metres hurdles
College teamUSC Trojans
TeamNike
Turned pro2011
Coached byJohn Coghlan
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals2016
Personal best100 metres hurdles: 12.30
Medal record
Women's track and field
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m hurdles
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Doha 100 m hurdles
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Sopot 60 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place 2016 Portland 60 m hurdles
World University Games
Gold medal – first place 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.[1]

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.[2] 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.[3]

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.[2] At the World Championships, Ali was a semi-finalist in the 100 m hurdles, ultimately finishing 10th.[4]

At the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Ali took eighth in the 100 m hurdles.[5]

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,[6] which also qualified her for the 2014 World Indoor Championships where she took the gold medal running 7.80 a second time.

In 2015, Ali took a year off to give birth to her son with hurdler Michael Tinsley.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

In 2019, Ali won the gold medal in the 100m hurdles at the IAAF world championships in Doha, Qatar with a personal-best time of 12.34.[10] The time ties her with Sharika Nelvis as the #9 performer of all time.

Competition record

National championships results

Representing the Pleasantville High School Greyhounds (2006), University of Tennessee Volunteers (2007), University of Southern California Trojans (2007-2011), and Nike (2011–2024)
Year Championship Position Event Time or mark Wind (m/s) Venue
2006 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships 4th 100m hurdles 13.55 +2.5 Indianapolis, Indiana
2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships DNF Heptathlon N/A — Eugene, Oregon
2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 5th 100m hurdles 12.86 +1.8 Eugene, Oregon
2012 USA Olympic Trials 8th 100m hurdles 13.02 -1.6 Eugene, Oregon
2013 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships 1st 60m hurdles 7.93 — Albuquerque, New Mexico
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 3rd 100m hurdles 12.48 +1.2 Des Moines, Iowa
2014 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships 1st 60m hurdles 7.80 — Albuquerque, New Mexico
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 8th 100m hurdles 13.16 -1.6 Sacramento, California
2016 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships SF1 1st 60m hurdles 7.85 — Portland, Oregon
10th High jump 1.75 —
USA Olympic Trials 3rd 100m hurdles 12.55 +1.2 Eugene, Oregon
2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 2nd 100m hurdles 12.68 −1.7 Sacramento, California
2019 U.S. Championships 2nd 100m hurdles 12.55 −1.2 Des Moines, Iowa
2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships DNS 100m hurdles N/A — Eugene, Oregon
2023 USA Outdoor Championships 1st 100m hurdles 12.37 +0.4 Eugene, Oregon
2024 USA Olympic Trials 4th 100m hurdles 12.37 +0.7 Eugene, Oregon

International championship results

Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Wind (m/s) Notes
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 3rd (sf) 100 m hurdles 12.83 -0.6
2014 World Indoor Championships Sopot, Poland 1st 60 m hurdles 7.80 PB
2016 World Indoor Championships Portland, USA 1st 60 m hurdles 7.81 PB
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2nd 100 m hurdles 12.59 +0.0
2017 World Championships London, England 8th 100 m hurdles 13.04 +0.1
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 1st 100 m hurdles 12.34 +0.3 PB
2022 World Championships Eugene, USA 100 m hurdles DQ (h) - -0.3
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 8th 100 m hurdles 12.78 -0.2

Personal life

Ali has a son, Titus Maximus, with American Olympian Michael Tinsley,[11][12] an American track and field athlete specializing in the 400-metre hurdles.[13] In June 2018, she had a daughter with her partner, Canadian Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse,[13] and a second child in May 2021.[14]

References

  1. ^ McGarry, Michael. "Pleasantville grad Nia Ali overcame adversity to make Olympic team", The Press of Atlantic City, July 30, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2019. "The 2006 Pleasantville High School graduate will compete in the 100-meter hurdles when the Olympics begin in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.... Ali moved to Pleasantville for her senior year of high school."
  2. ^ a b Boal, Eric (June 22, 2013). "TRACK AND FIELD: USC graduate Nia Ali clears big hurdle, off to World Championships". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  3. ^ "Nia Ali Bio". University of Southern California Official Athletic Site. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  4. ^ "Brown Wins Bronze at IAAF World Track & Field Championships". www.usctrojans.com. August 18, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  5. ^ "2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships – Track & Field Women's 100 meters hurdles". USA Track & Field. June 29, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  6. ^ USA Indoor Track & Field Champions USA Track & Field. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  7. ^ "Pleasantville grad Nia Ali has eyes on Olympics and raising newborn". The Press of Atlantic City. April 16, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  8. ^ "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field Men's steeplechase". usatf.org. July 8, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  9. ^ "Rio Olympics 2016: US women sweep medals in 100m hurdles". BBC News. August 18, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  10. ^ "Championships Allyson Felix wins record 13th World Athletics Championships gold in Doha". The Guardian. Associated Press. October 6, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  11. ^ That Extra Edge Spikes. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  12. ^ Minutaglio, Rose. "Move Over, Boomer! There's a New Baby in Town: 100-Meter Hurdler Nia Ali's 15-Month-Old Son Titus Steals the Show". Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Andre De Grasse and Nia Ali's baby girl born Saturday". Canadian Running Magazine. June 25, 2018.
  14. ^ "Andre De Grasse will miss World Relays with 2nd baby due next month". CBC News. April 7, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
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