Melanie Walker

Melaine Walker O.D (born 1 March 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.

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.

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.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.

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Jamaica
1998	World Junior Championships	Annecy, France	5th	200 m	23.72
			3rd	4 × 100 m relay	44.61
1999	World Youth Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	2nd	200 m	23.72
			6th	100 m hurdles (76.2 cm)	13.80
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
			2nd	400m hurdles	56.03
2004	NACAC U-23 Championships	Sherbrooke, Canada	5th	100m hurdles	13.86
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)