Carmelita
“The Jet” Jeter was born November 24, 1979 in southern California. She got her
athletic start in basketball; it wasn’t until high school that she found her
love for speed. During her freshman year of high school, Carmelita’s basketball
coach suggested that she try out for track to help keep in shape in off-season.
She ran an 11.7 second 100 meter dash, proving her natural talent for
sprinting. Upon graduating high school, Carmelita signed on with California
State University, Dominguez Hills track team and became the University’s first
U.S. Olympic trials qualifier. While at Dominguez Hills, Carmelita also
excelled off the track and acquired a degree in physical education.
In 2007, she took home her first medal
in the 100-meter dash at her first World Championships and set a personal record
with a time of 11.05 seconds. In the same season, Carmelita won a silver medal in
the 60-meter dash at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships and set
another personal record with a time of 7.17 seconds. At the London Grand Prix,
she placed first in the 100-meter dash with a personal best of 10.92. A week
prior to the start of the World Championships, Carmelita was part of the US
4x100-meter relay team that ran the fastest women’s sprint relay in 12
years. Carmelita, Lauryn William,
Allyson Felix and Muna Lee finished with a time of 41.58 seconds, bringing them
to eighth on the all-time list.in the 2009 World Championships, she ran her personal
best of 10.83 seconds, winning the second semifinal before finishing third in
the finals with a time of 10.90. After the 2009 World Championships, Carmelita
entered the IAAF World Athletics Final. She not only won the 100-meter dash,
with a time of 10.67, but she also became the third fastest woman in history
and set a championship record. She won the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix, setting a
new personal best of 10.67 making her the second fastest woman ever. Carmelita
proved herself to be the best once again by not only winning the Shanghai
Golden Grand Prix, but setting a new personal best with a time of 10.64, making
her the second fastest woman ever. She was the 2012 USA Indoor champion in the
60-meter dash and finished first in six events that season, ranking #1 in the
world by T&FN with a best of 10.82. In 2011, Carmelita took home two gold
medals in the 100-meter dash and the 4x100-meter relay and one silver medal in
the 200-meter at the World Championships in Daegu. At the 2012 Olympics,
Carmelita won gold in the 4x100-meter relay, silver in the 100-meter and bronze
in the 200-meter, making her the first athlete to ever medal in both the 100-meter
and 200-meter race at the Olympics. Carmelita anchored the 2012 US Olympic
4x100-meter relay team that smashed the old record by more than a half of a
second.
"Carmelita Jeter."
USA Track & Field. USA Track and Field, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Allyson-Felix.aspx>.
"Carmelita Jeter |
Official Site of the World's Fastest Woman » Bio." Carmelita Jeter
Official Site of the Worlds Fastest Woman Bio Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb.
2014.
