Sprint hurdles at the Olympics

The sprint hurdles at the Summer Olympics have been contested over a variety of distances at the multi-sport event. The men's 110 metres hurdles has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since the first edition in 1896. A men's 200 metres hurdles was also briefly held, from 1900 to 1904. The first women's sprint hurdling event was added to the programme at the 1932 Olympics in the form of the 80 metres hurdles. At the 1972 Games the women's distance was extended to the 100 metres hurdles, which is the current international standard.

Sprint hurdles
at the Olympic Games
The 2008 Olympic men's 110 m hurdles semi-final
Overview
SportAthletics
GenderMen and women
Years heldMen 110 m: 18962016
Men 200 m: 19001904
Women 80 m: 19321968
Women 100 m: 19722016
Olympic record
Men12.91 Liu Xiang (2004)
Women12.35 Sally Pearson (2012)
Reigning champion
Men{{Omar McLeod|JAM}}
Women Brianna Rollins (USA)

The Olympic records are 12.91 seconds for the men's 110 m hurdles, set by Liu Xiang in 2004, and 12.20 seconds for the women's 100 m hurdles, set by Kendra Harrison in 2016. The fastest time recorded at the Olympics for the men's 200 m hurdles was 24.6 seconds by 1904 winner Harry Hillman. Maureen Caird won the last women's Olympic 80 m hurdles race in 1968 with a record of 10.39 seconds. The men's 110 m hurdles world record has been broken at the Olympics on six occasions: 1908, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1972 and 2004. The women's 100 m hurdles world record has been broken only once, by Annelie Ehrhardt at the inaugural 1972 Olympic final.[1] In contrast the 80 m hurdles world record was set at the Olympics in 1932 (four times), 1936, and 1952 (twice).[2]

Only three athletes have won two Olympic sprint hurdles gold medals: on the men's side, Lee Calhoun and Roger Kingdom, and on the women's side Shirley Strickland. Strickland is also the only athlete to win three such Olympic medals, having won a bronze medal before her victories. Alvin Kraenzlein is the only athlete to have won two hurdles medals at the same Olympics, having taken the 110 m and 200 m titles. Historically, hurdlers also competed in other individual sprinting events (Harrison Dillard and Fanny Blankers-Koen were also 100 metres Olympic champions), but this became rare after the 1950s.

The United States has dominated the men's event: with 19 gold medals and 56 medals in total, the nation won over half the available medals in the history of the competition. The United States has swept the medals on eight occasions and an American man has been on the podium every edition except the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Though less dominant in the women's events, the U.S. also has the most number of women's gold medals, with four.

Medal summary

Men's 110 metres hurdles

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1896 Athens
Thomas Curtis
 United States
Grantley Goulding
 Great Britain
none awarded
1900 Paris
Alvin Kraenzlein
 United States
John McLean
 United States
Fred Moloney
 United States
1904 St. Louis
Frederick Schule
 United States
Thaddeus Shideler
 United States
Lesley Ashburner
 United States
1908 London
Forrest Smithson
 United States
John Garrels
 United States
Arthur Shaw
 United States
1912 Stockholm
Fred Kelly
 United States
James Wendell
 United States
Martin Hawkins
 United States
1920 Antwerp
Earl Thomson
 Canada
Harold Barron
 United States
Feg Murray
 United States
1924 Paris
Daniel Kinsey
 United States
Sid Atkinson
 South Africa
Sten Pettersson
 Sweden
1928 Amsterdam
Sid Atkinson
 South Africa
Steve Anderson
 United States
John Collier
 United States
1932 Los Angeles
George Saling
 United States
Percy Beard
 United States
Don Finlay
 Great Britain
1936 Berlin
Forrest Towns
 United States
Don Finlay
 Great Britain
Fritz Pollard
 United States
1948 London
William Porter
 United States
Clyde Scott
 United States
Craig Dixon
 United States
1952 Helsinki
Harrison Dillard
 United States
Jack Davis
 United States
Arthur Barnard
 United States
1956 Melbourne
Lee Calhoun
 United States
Jack Davis
 United States
Joel Shankle
 United States
1960 Rome
Lee Calhoun
 United States
Willie May
 United States
Hayes Jones
 United States
1964 Tokyo
Hayes Jones
 United States
Blaine Lindgren
 United States
Anatoly Mikhailov
 Soviet Union
1968 Mexico City
Willie Davenport
 United States
Ervin Hall
 United States
Eddy Ottoz
 Italy
1972 Munich
Rod Milburn
 United States
Guy Drut
 France
Thomas Hill
 United States
1976 Montreal
Guy Drut
 France
Alejandro Casañas
 Cuba
Willie Davenport
 United States
1980 Moscow
Thomas Munkelt
 East Germany
Alejandro Casañas
 Cuba
Aleksandr Puchkov
 Soviet Union
1984 Los Angeles
Roger Kingdom
 United States
Greg Foster
 United States
Arto Bryggare
 Finland
1988 Seoul
Roger Kingdom
 United States
Colin Jackson
 Great Britain
Tonie Campbell
 United States
1992 Barcelona
Mark McKoy
 Canada
Tony Dees
 United States
Jack Pierce
 United States
1996 Atlanta
Allen Johnson
 United States
Mark Crear
 United States
Florian Schwarthoff
 Germany
2000 Sydney
Anier García
 Cuba
Terrence Trammell
 United States
Mark Crear
 United States
2004 Athens
Liu Xiang
 China
Terrence Trammell
 United States
Anier García
 Cuba
2008 Beijing
Dayron Robles
 Cuba
David Payne
 United States
David Oliver
 United States
2012 London
Aries Merritt
 United States
Jason Richardson
 United States
Hansle Parchment
 Jamaica
2016 Rio
Omar McLeod
 Jamaica
Orlando Ortega
 Spain
Dimitri Bascou
 France

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1Lee Calhoun United States (USA)1956–19602002
Roger Kingdom United States (USA)1984–19882002
3Sydney Atkinson South Africa (RSA)1924–19281102
Guy Drut France (FRA)1972–19761102
5Hayes Jones United States (USA)1960–19641012
Willie Davenport United States (USA)1968–19761012
Anier Garcia Cuba (CUB)2000–20041012
8Jack Davis United States (USA)1952–19560202
Alejandro Casanas Cuba (CUB)1976–19800202
Terrence Trammell United States (USA)2000–20040202
11Don Finlay Great Britain (GBR)1932–19360112
Mark Crear United States (USA)1996–20000112

Medals by country

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 United States (USA)19201756
2 Cuba (CUB)2215
3 Canada (CAN)2002
4 France (FRA)1113
5 South Africa (RSA)1102
6 Jamaica (JAM)1012
7 China (CHN)1001
 East Germany (GDR)1001
9 Great Britain (GBR)0314
10 Spain (ESP)0101
11 Soviet Union (URS)0022
12 Finland (FIN)0011
 Germany (GER)0011
 Italy (ITA)0011
 Sweden (SWE)0011

Women's 80 metres hurdles

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1932 Los Angeles
Babe Didrikson
 United States
Evelyne Hall
 United States
Marjorie Clark
 South Africa
1936 Berlin
Ondina Valla
 Italy
Anni Steuer
 Germany
Elizabeth Taylor
 Canada
1948 London
Fanny Blankers-Koen
 Netherlands
Maureen Gardner
 Great Britain
Shirley Strickland
 Australia
1952 Helsinki
Shirley Strickland de la Hunty
 Australia
Maria Golubnichaya
 Soviet Union
Maria Sander
 Germany
1956 Melbourne
Shirley Strickland de la Hunty
 Australia
Gisela Köhler
 United Team of Germany
Norma Thrower
 Australia
1960 Rome
Irina Press
 Soviet Union
Carole Quinton
 Great Britain
Gisela Birkemeyer
 United Team of Germany
1964 Tokyo
Karin Balzer
 United Team of Germany
Teresa Ciepły
 Poland
Pam Kilborn
 Australia
1968 Mexico City
Maureen Caird
 Australia
Pam Kilborn
 Australia
Chi Cheng
 Republic of China

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1Shirley Strickland Australia (AUS)1948–19562013
2Gisela Birkemeyer United Team of Germany (EUA)1956–19600112
Pam Kilborn Australia (AUS)1964–19680112

Medalists by country

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Australia (AUS)3137
2 Germany (GER)[nb]1225
3 Soviet Union (URS)1102
 United States (USA)1102
5 Italy (ITA)1001
 Netherlands (NED)1001
7 Great Britain (GBR)0202
8 Poland (POL)0101
9 Canada (CAN)0011
 Republic of China (ROC)0011
 South Africa (RSA)0011

Women's 100 metres hurdles

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1972 Munich
Annelie Ehrhardt
 East Germany
Valeria Bufanu
 Romania
Karin Balzer
 East Germany
1976 Montreal
Johanna Schaller-Klier
 East Germany
Tatyana Anisimova
 Soviet Union
Natalya Lebedeva
 Soviet Union
1980 Moscow
Vera Komisova
 Soviet Union
Johanna Schaller-Klier
 East Germany
Lucyna Langer
 Poland
1984 Los Angeles
Benita Fitzgerald
 United States
Shirley Strong
 Great Britain
Michèle Chardonnet
 France
Kim Turner
 United States
1988 Seoul
Yordanka Donkova
 Bulgaria
Gloria Siebert
 East Germany
Claudia Zackiewicz
 West Germany
1992 Barcelona
Voula Patoulidou
 Greece
LaVonna Martin
 United States
Yordanka Donkova
 Bulgaria
1996 Atlanta
Ludmila Engquist
 Sweden
Brigita Bukovec
 Slovenia
Patricia Girard
 France
2000 Sydney
Olga Shishigina
 Kazakhstan
Glory Alozie
 Nigeria
Melissa Morrison
 United States
2004 Athens
Joanna Hayes
 United States
Olena Krasovska
 Ukraine
Melissa Morrison
 United States
2008 Beijing
Dawn Harper
 United States
Sally Pearson
 Australia
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep
 Canada
2012 London
Sally Pearson
 Australia
Dawn Harper
 United States
Kellie Wells
 United States
2016 Rio de Janeiro
Brianna Rollins
 United States
Nia Ali
 United States
Kristi Castlin
 United States

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1Johanna Schaller East Germany (GDR)1976–19801102
Sally Pearson Australia (AUS)2008–20121102
Dawn Harper United States (USA)2008–20121102
4Yordanka Donkova Bulgaria (BUL)1988–19921012
5Melissa Morrison United States (USA)2000–20040112

Medalists by country

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 United States (USA)4359
2 East Germany (GDR)2215
3 Soviet Union (URS)1113
4 Australia (AUS)1102
5 Bulgaria (BUL)1012
6 Greece (GRE)1001
 Kazakhstan (KAZ)1001
 Sweden (SWE)1001
9 Great Britain (GBR)0101
 Nigeria (NGR)0101
 Romania (ROU)0101
 Slovenia (SLO)0101
 Ukraine (UKR)0101
14 France (FRA)0022
15 Canada (CAN)0011
 Poland (POL)0011
 West Germany (FRG)0011

200 metres hurdles

For a brief period, a men's Olympic 200 metres low hurdles race was held. It was a relatively common event in the early 1900s. With only two appearances in 1900 and 1904, the event's removal as an Olympic event marked the beginning of a steady decline of its popularity over the course of the 20th century and it is now a rarity. The 1900 event was won by Alvin Kraenzlein, who won four gold medals that year, including the 110 m hurdles title.[3] The second and final 200 m hurdles champion, Harry Hillman, was again a multiple gold medallist, as the American won the 400 metres sprint and 400 metres hurdles Olympic titles at that games.[4]

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1900 Paris
 Alvin Kraenzlein (USA)  Norman Pritchard (IND)  Walter Tewksbury (USA)
1904 St. Louis
 Harry Hillman (USA)  Frank Castleman (USA)  George Poage (USA)

Intercalated Games

The 1906 Intercalated Games were held in Athens and at the time were officially recognised as part of the Olympic Games series, with the intention being to hold a games in Greece in two-year intervals between the internationally held Olympics. However, this plan never came to fruition and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later decided not to recognise these games as part of the official Olympic series. Some sports historians continue to treat the results of these games as part of the Olympic canon.[5]

At this event a men's 110 m hurdles race was held. For the top two finishers, American hurdler Robert Leavitt and British athlete Alfred Healey, this was the peak of their respective careers.[6] Bronze medalist Vincent Duncker of Germany was the joint 100 metres world record holder at the time.[7]

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1906 Athens
 Robert Leavitt (USA)  Alfred Healey (GBR)  Vincent Duncker (GER)

References

Participation and athlete data
Olympic record progressions
Specific
  1. "13th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Daegu 2011. (Part 5 of 5)". Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2011. pp. 546, 553, 595, 697, 698. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  2. Women, 80 m Hurdles > World Records Progression. Brinkster. Retrieved on 2014-06-28.
  3. Al Kraenzlein. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-08.
  4. Harry Hillman. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-08.
  5. 1906 Athina Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
  6. Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's 110 metres Hurdles. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
  7. Men, 100 m > World Records Progression. Brinkster Track and Field. Retrieved on 2014-02-02.
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