East St. Louis track and field star Dawn Harper is the newest Olympic gold medallist to come from this powerful sports city.
Harper stunned the track and field world to win the gold medal in the 100-meter high hurdles before 91,000 fans at Beijing’s “Bird Cage” at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Harper qualified in third place for the 100-meter Olympic trials in July. LoLo Jones – Harper’s USA teammate – was favored to win the finals. Jones finished a disappointing seventh. Harper turned in a winning time of 12.54 seconds, a personal best for the athlete.
A native of East St. Louis and former Club member of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation Winning In Life Program, 24-year-old Harper graduated from East St. Louis Senior High School in 2002. Under the direction of Flyerette track coach Nino A. Fennoy, she earned six state titles. She went on to UCLA where she became an All-American and Olympic hopeful in 2004. She is now competing for Olympic gold in Beijing with the support of her coach Bob Kersee.
Harper joins Jackie Joyner-Kersee and her brother Al Joyner to become the third athlete from east st. Louis to win a gold medal in track and field.
In celebration of this momentous occasion for local sports, family, friends and fans of Dawn Harper are welcome to attend the DAWN HARPER “GOING FOR THE GOLD” WATCH PARTY tonight (Aug. 19, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, 101 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Circle, East St. Louis, Illinois 62204. For more information about the viewing party, call (314) 618-274-5437.