The times could not have been much closer in the Olympic women’s 100-meter hurdles in London.
The winning time was 12.35 seconds for the 2012 gold medalist Sally Pearson from Australia.
The second place time was 12.37 for 2008 gold medalist Dawn Harper, thus earning a silver medal for her country, community and family in 2012.
In 2008, it was Sally Pearson who was nipped by Harper for the gold medal in China.
Kelly Wells, who has overcome adversity in her own right, made up a trio that will go down as one of the greatest 100-meter hurdles races of all time.
East St. Louis’ own Dawn Harper had one of the greatest days in Olympic hurdles history. The former UCLA Bruin All-American and East St. Louis Flyerette All American ran a personal best in the semifinals, and tied the previous Olympic Olympic record set by former co-worker of mine at Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, Joanna Hayes, in the finals.
Harper beamed through the rain and glared at the message board awaiting the results in this wire-to-wire finish. After the results were posted, Harper, in her grateful way applauded the results and congratulated not only her effort in defeat, but that of the woman who kept her from making history of winning back-to-back gold medals in the Olympic Games.
But this is by no means a setback for Harper.
Dawn has gotten better and better since 2008, and ran down Sally Pearson who always get out the blocks like a bolt of lightning like no one else did in the 2012 games. But Harper just ran out of room and her dip, was a little short – 0.2 seconds short.
The city of East St. Louis is still buzzing about our Olympic hero.
Dawn’s mother Linda Harper was still excited for her child on Sunday.
“I am so proud of Dawn,” Linda Harper said. “She worked and competed so hard prior and during the Olympic games. As her mother I am so proud of her.”
And so are we! Dawn is a young star who is so humble and so gracious, in victory and in defeat.
She is a young lady who in her own right could be labeled one of the greatest Americans hurdlers of all time. And she has accomplished it in a very humble way.
Harper is not one to look for attention, she shined with such maturity with the deck constantly being stacked against her in my opinion by some in the track and field community, as well as those who cover it regularly. When Dawn won her gold medal in 2008, her accomplishments were pushed aside while everyone concentrated on media darling Lolo Jones’ stumble which cost her a victory in the same race.
Harper put her frustration aside and trained harder for the 2012 Olympics to prove that 2008 was not fluke. Despite having knee surgery and having to constantly perform in Jones’ giant shadow, Harper came up big on the biggest stage once again as she turned in her lifetime best with the entire world watching. While Jones was getting all of the attention from the media, Harper was going about the business of cementing her rep as the top hurdler in the United States while taking home a second medal from the Olympics.
Many in East St. Louis are proud, as I heard many in church this past Sunday celebrating Harper’s Olympic feat. Keep doing your thing, Dawn, as you continue your journey of becoming the greatest of all time in the hurdles.
East St. Louis is proud! See you when you come home to celebrate with us!
By the way, for all you haters and loyal followers who hated on me for saying Dawn would beat Lolo Jones again.
She did! Nothing to talk about – 12.37, now that’s rolling, Lolo!
Lolo Jones can enjoy all the celebrity and endorsements and media attention that has been showered upon her. However, that does not change the fact that she is not the top hurdler in the United States.
That distinction belongs to East St. Louis’ own Dawn Harper. Like it or not. That’s the way it is.
