Where is Dawn Harper from?

Olympic hurdle champion Dawn Harper-Nelson hails from East St. Louis, Illinois, United States.

She had her education at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where she was a part of the UCLA Bruins women’s team, and won the sprint hurdles at the US Junior Championships.

Who Is Dawn Harper-Nelson?

Dawn Harper-Nelson is a track and field athlete known for being an Olympic champion in the 100-meter hurdles.

Born on May 13, 1984, in Illinois, Harper made her first Olympic appearance in 2008, at the U.S. Olympic Trials, and emerged third place by .007 seconds.

She went ahead to win her first Olympic gold medal the same year for 100 m hurdles with a time of 12.54 seconds. She was 24 at the time.

Harper consequently finished third place at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Harper took home the gold medal and in 2012, she won the silver medal at the London Olympic Games.

At the 2017 World Championships, Harper took home the silver medal, and so far, she is the first American 100-meter hurdler to ever win gold at an Olympics.

In 2022, Harper was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

In the state of Illinois, every October 6 is observed as the Dawn Harper Day, in recognition of the Olympic gold medallist.