Nia_Ali

Nia Ali

Nia Ali

American track and field athlete

Nia Ali (born October 23, 1988) is an American track and field athlete, who specializes in the 100 m hurdles, heptathlon, and other events.

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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, Nia 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, Nia won the gold-medal for 100m hurdles at the IAAF world championships (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.

Personal life

Nia has a son, Titus Maximus, with American Olympian Michael Tinsley,[11][12] an American track and field athlete specializing in the 400 metres 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. [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. [2]
    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. [3]
    "Nia Ali Bio". University of Southern California Official Athletic Site. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  4. [4]
    "Brown Wins Bronze at IAAF World Track & Field Championships". www.usctrojans.com. August 18, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  5. [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. [6]
    USA Indoor Track & Field Champions USA Track & Field. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  7. [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. [8]
    "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field Men's steeplechase". usatf.org. July 8, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  9. [9]
    "Rio Olympics 2016: US women sweep medals in 100m hurdles". BBC News. August 18, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  10. [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. [11]
    That Extra Edge Spikes. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  12. [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. [13]
    "Andre De Grasse and Nia Ali's baby girl born Saturday". Canadian Running Magazine. June 25, 2018.
  14. [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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