Shamier Little ( ; born March 20, 1995) is an American track and field sprinter specializing in the 400 metres hurdles. As a 20-year-old college sophomore at Texas A&M University, Little was the 2015 US champion. She then went on to win the silver medal in her signature event at the 2015 and 2023 World Championships. In July 2021, she became the fifth fastest woman of all time at the event.
Early life Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Little is the child of athletic parents, her father a football cornerback and her mother a star basketball player and high jumper at Eastern Kentucky University. Shamier began participating in youth track and field as an 8 year old. She made her first appearance at the national level at the 2004 USATF Youth Championships as a 100 meter sprinter running for the University of Chicago Youth Track Club. She regularly participated in all comers track meets. Later Little ran for the Country Club Hills Gazelles both in USATF and AAU competitions. None of her early youth competitions could be labeled exceptional.
At Robert Lindblom Math & Science Academy in Chicago, Little got more serious setting the IHSA Class 2A records in 100 meters hurdles, 200 meters and 400 meters. She won the 2011 AAU Junior Olympics at 400 hurdles. In 2012, she won the Arcadia Invitational in the 400 meters, which she repeated in 2013. She won the Junior National Championships in 400 hurdles, which qualified her for the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics, but she did not finish the final, falling over the last hurdle while in medal contention. In 2013, Little tried 100 meters hurdles and 400 at the National Championships, finishing off the podium in both.
Career After high school, Little chose to go to Texas A&M University. As a freshman, she won the NCAA Championships at 400 hurdles and helped her team get second place in the 4 × 400 meters relay. Later that summer, she won the 2014 World Junior Championships in the 400 hurdles.
In 2015, before winning the overall national championship, she repeated as NCAA Champion, running the #1 time worldwide to that point in the season. The National Championship offered Little an invitation to run in the 2015 Pan American Games, where she took the gold medal.
In 2016, Little won a third consecutive NCAA 400 m hurdles champion title.
In October 2024, it was announced that she had signed up for the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson founded Grand Slam Track.
Achievements
All information taken from World Athletics profile.
Personal bests EventTime (m:)sWindVenueDateNotes200 meters23.02 +1.5 m/sBaton Rouge, LA, United States29 April 2023400 meters49.68Monaco21 July 2023400 meters indoor50.57Fayetteville, AR, United States21 February 2021600 meters indoor1:24.65Fayetteville, AR, United States13 January 20238th woman all time100 meters hurdles13.77 +0.4 m/sBaton Rouge, LA, United States3 May 2014400 meters hurdles52.39Stockholm, Sweden4 July 20215th woman all time
International competitions 2012World Junior ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain6th (sf) 400 m hurdles2014World Junior ChampionshipsEugene, OR, United States1st400 m hurdles55.661st4 × 400 m relay3:30.422015Pan American GamesToronto, Canada1st400 m hurdles55.501st4 × 400 m relay3:25.68World ChampionshipsBeijing, China2nd400 m hurdles53.942017World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom11th (sf)400 m hurdles55.762018NACAC ChampionshipsToronto, Canada1st400 m hurdles53.32Continental CupOstrava, Czech Republic2nd400 m hurdles53.862022World ChampionshipsEugene, OR, United States4th400 m hurdles53.762023World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary2nd400 m hurdles52.802024Olympic GamesParis, France1st4 × 400 m relay3:15.27 2nd4 × 400 m mixed3:07.742026World Indoor ChampionshipsToruń, Poland1st4 × 400 m relay3:25.81World Ultimate ChampionshipBudapest, Hungary12th (h)400 m hurdles54.53
Circuit performances
Circuit wins Diamond League meetings 400 metres hurdles wins, other events specified in parentheses 2016: Zürich Weltklasse 2018: Lausanne Athletissima, London Anniversary Games 2019: Lausanne 2023: Rabat Meeting International ()
National and NCAA titles USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 400 m hurdles: 2015, 2018, 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships 400 m hurdles: 2014, 2015, 2016
References
External links