Andrea Melissa Blackett (born 24 January 1976) is a Barbadian athlete who specializes in the 400 metres hurdles. She is also a women's track assistant coach at her alma mater, Rice University.

Her greatest achievement in athletics is the gold medal she won in the 400 metres hurdles at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in a games record time.Thomas wins 400 for Wales; Oakes makes it six medals in six Games CNN/Sports Illustrated, 18 September 1998 Blackett was awarded the Barbados Service Star and the 1998 National Sports Personality of the Year award for Barbados for this achievement.Andrea Blackett Harrison College, 1998Awards of the Order of Barbados Barbados Integrated Government

Blackett represented Barbados in six IAAF World Championships (1997–2007). She qualified for the final four times and in 1999 finished fourth. She competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, qualifying for the semi-final of the 400m hurdles and she competed in the 400m hurdles at the 2004 Athens Olympics.Olympics 2004 - Women's 400m hurdles results BBC Sport, 3 August 2004 Andrea even competed in Edmonton in 2001 and also in Paris in 2003 where she earned sixth place. She has also represented her country at the World Indoor Athletics Championships.

She also has five medals from the Central American and Caribbean Championships and three from the Central American and Caribbean Games. Blackett has a personal best of 53.36 in the 400m hurdles, in Seville which is also a national record for Barbados. She set the Barbados 100m hurdles record of 13.39 in 2003 in Liège.

Career

Andrea's 4x400 meter time in the Indoor National Track and Field events led the Rice Owls to their first ever national title win in 1997. Her highest individual finish came in a second-place effort in the 400 metres hurdles in 1997. Blackett graduated from Rice University in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in managerial studies and Spanish, and she also holds a master's degree from the University of Houston in hotel management.

She also competed in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester but was unable to retain her title.2002 Commonwealth Games - Daily Results BBC Sport, 27 July 2002 Blackett featured in the 2003 documentary Running for God which followed her efforts to win at the games alongside fellow hurdlers Deon Hemmings and Natasha Danvers, and how their Christian faith influenced their careers.Running for God (2003) BFI - Film & TV Database

Blackett was also selected in the Bajan team for the 2008 OlympicsBlackett: Bajans ready Gleaner, 2008 but was ruled out due to injuryRice coach tapped to head Barbados Olympic team Rice University, 17 July 2008 and retired from international competition.

Coaching Blackett has now finished her days of running but it hasn't stopped her from coaching for the Rice University's Women's Track Team as well as previously coaching for Barbados in the 2008 Beijing Olympic games.

Coach Blackett continued her NCAA Division I coaching career at UCLA Bruins track and field in 2016-2017.2017 University of California Los Angeles Track and Field Roster UCLA BruinsCoach Andrea Blackett profile UCLA Bruins Coach Blackett coached eight years (2017-2024) as an assistant coach for Azusa Pacific University. APU won 2021APU Women’s Track and Field 2021 schedule and results Azusa Pacific University and 2023APU Women’s Track and Field 2023 schedule and results Azusa Pacific University NCAA Division II women's outdoor track and field championships two team NCAA Division II Championships, and 16 (out of 16) Pacific West Conference men and women team outdoor track and field championships.8-Peat Complete! For the eighth consecutive year, Azusa Pacific captured both the men’s and women’s team titles at the PacWest Track & Field Championships. Azusa Pacific Cougars

International competitions

Representing 1992CARIFTA Games (U-17)Nassau, Bahamas5th400 m58.041993CARIFTA Games (U-20)Fort-de-France, Martinique4th400 m56.406th4 × 100 m relay47.793rd4 × 400 m relay3:52.481994CARIFTA Games (U-20)Bridgetown, Barbados6th400 m56.092nd400 m hurdles61.293rd4 × 400 m relay3:42.54CAC Junior Championships (U-20)Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago3rd400 m hurdles62.1World Junior ChampionshipsLisbon, Portugal22nd (h)400m hurdles63.521995CARIFTA Games (U-20)George Town, Cayman Islands2nd400 m hurdles59.803rd4 × 400 m relay3:40.161997Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsSan Juan, Puerto Rico1st400 m hurdles55.64 CRWorld Championships Athens, Greece 8th400 m hurdles55.631998Central American and Caribbean GamesMaracaibo, Venezuela2nd400 m hurdles54.613rd4 × 400 m relay3:31.91Commonwealth Games Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1st400 m hurdles53.91 –4 × 400 m relayDNF1999Central American and Caribbean Championships Bridgetown, Barbados 1st400 m hurdles56.87Pan American Games Winnipeg, Canada 2nd400 m hurdles53.98 3rd4 × 400 m relay3:30.72World Championships Seville, Spain 4th400 m hurdles53.36 3rd (h)4 × 400 m relay3:34.372000Olympic GamesSydney, Australia7th (sf)400 m hurdles55.30 2001World ChampionshipsEdmonton, Canada5th (h)400 m hurdles57.102003Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsSt. George's, Grenada3rd400 m hurdles56.12Pan American Games Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 3rd400 m hurdles55.24World Championships Paris, France 6th400 m hurdles54.79World Athletics Final Monte Carlo, Monaco 2nd400 m hurdles 54.282004Olympic GamesAthens, Greece6th (h)400 m hurdles56.492005Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsNassau, Bahamas2nd400 m hurdles56.47World Championships Helsinki, Finland 6th400 m hurdles55.06World Athletics Final Monte Carlo, Monaco 5th400 m hurdles 55.25 2007Pan American GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil5th400 m hurdles56.02World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan5th (h)400 m hurdles57.70

Personal bests

400 metres - 54.01 s (2006) 400 metres hurdles - 53.36 s (1999) 100 metres hurdles - 13.17 s (2000)

References

External links