When I got ya back
ya know I got ya back each and every time
--Cypress Hill.
A week ago we didn't know her name, but now a grateful nation knows exactly who she is and what she has done. In regards to respecting Felicien, I couldn't care less that she tripped over the first hurdle: I think its too bad that so much pressure and stress could be put on how an athlete performs in the course of 12 seconds! Especially since she has a string of huge victories. Its crazy, but that's the sport.
She's upset right now, so i'm glad that the whole nation has got her back in defeat. This is the record of a champion:
Honouring Felicien
Career Highlights
Won 2003 world championship in Paris
Won three NCAA hurdling championships
Named 2003 Female Athlete of the Year by Canadian Press
Silver medallist at Pan American Games, 2003
Canadian champion in 2000, 2002, 2003
* 2003 Big Ten Champion in the 100m hurdles
* 2003 Drake Relays Most Outstanding Athlete
* 2003 Big Ten Champion in the 60m hurdles
* 2002 NCAA Champion in the 100m hurdles
* 2002 Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year
* 2002 Drake Relays Most Outstanding Athlete
* 2002 NCAA Record holder in the 60m hurdles, 7.90 seconds
* 2002 NCAA Champion in the 60m hurdles
* 2002 Big Ten Champion in the 60m hurdles
* 2002 All-American in the 60m hurdles<
* 2001 All-American in the 100m hurdles
* 2001 All-American in the 60m hurdles
* 2001 USTCA National Female Athlete of the Year
* 2001 Big Ten Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year
* 2001 Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year
* 2001 Big Ten Indoor Freshman of the Year
* 2001 World Track and Field Championship Semifinalist<
* 2000 Big Ten Outdoor Freshman of the Year
* 2000 All-American in the 100m hurdles
Outdoor 2003
Nation’s top 100 meter hurdler with a time of 12.88 seconds at the Big Ten Championships ... Big Ten 100 meter hurdle champion ... Also finished eighth in the 100 meter at the Big Ten Championships with an NCAA Regional-qualifying time of 11.78 seconds ... Ran the anchor leg of the 4x100 meter relay that finished second at Big Ten’s with a season-best time of 44.27 seconds ... Made history at the 94th Drake Relays when she became the first athlete to ever claim titles in the university section and invitational sections of the same event ... Felicien’s titles came in the 100 meter hurdles.
Indoor 2003
Nation’s fastest hurdler with an altitude adjusted time of 7.97 seconds ... Automatically qualified in the hurdles at the Olympic Oval Invitational ... Defended her Big Ten title in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.02 seconds ... Also scored in the 60 meters for the Illini ... Ran her first 200-meter race of the year in Salt Lake City ... Won the 60 meter hurdle title at the Carle/Health Alliance Classic with a time of 8.14 seconds ... Competed at the Milrose Games on Feb. 7, 2003, in New York City, finishing fourth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.01 seconds.
Track 2002
Outdoor: NCAA National Champion in the 100m hurdles ... Became Illinois’ first NCAA Outdoor Champion since 1996 and first national champion in the 100m hurdles ... First Illinois athlete to win national championships during both the indoor and outdoor seasons .. Won all three races at the NCAA National Championships with a preliminary time of 13.11 seconds, a semifinal time of 12.86 seconds and a finals time of 12.91 seconds ... Also earned All-America accolades as the anchor leg of the 4x100m relay team that finished sixth at the NCAA National Championships ... Was named the Most Outstanding Female Athlete at the Drake Relays after anchoring the Illinois shuttle hurdle relay team to a win in a time of 53.95 seconds ... Also won the 100m hurdles at Drake with a time of 13.34 seconds despite running into a driving rain ... Named the University of Illinois Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row ... Scored in three events at the Big Ten Championships ... Hit the final hurdle at the Big Ten Championships to thwart her undefeated indoor and outdoor season in the hurdles ... Still finished second with a time of 13.00 seconds ... Finished fifth in the 100m dash and sixth in the 200m at the conference meet ... Ran a season-best 100m time of 11.73 seconds in the prelims of the Big Ten meet ... Also set a career-best time of 24.21 seconds in the 200m ... Won 100m hurdle titles at the Texas Relays and the April Twilight.
Indoor: Became the first indoor national champion in Illinois history when she won the 60m hurdles in a time of 7.90 seconds ... That time of 7.90 seconds shattered the previous all-time NCAA record of 7.94 seconds set by Auburn’s Vonette Dixon in 2000 ... First Team All-Big Ten selection ... Won the Big Ten title in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.01 seconds ... Tied the Big Ten Championship record in the 60m hurdles after running a time of 7.98 seconds in the semifinals ... Also earned a third-place finish in the 60m dash with a time of 7.40 seconds ... Provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet with a time of 7.37 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in Illinois history ... Broke the Arkansas, Louisiana State and Nebraska facility records in the 60m hurdles ... Undefeated in every hurdle race during the season ... Ranked the top collegiate hurdler throughout the season.
Track 2001
Named the University of Illinois Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year ... Named the U.S. Track Coaches Association National Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year on May 29 … Was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA the entire outdoor season in the 100m hurdles until the NCAA finals. Also spent the majority of the season ranked #1 on the IAAF world list … Set the school record in the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.73 ... Competed in the 2001 World Track and Field Championships for Canada ... Qualified for the semifinals, placing second in her preliminary heat ... … Named Big Ten Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year ... Anchored Illinois’ world record setting 4x100 meter shuttle hurdle relay at the Drake Relays on April 28. Illinois’ relay clocked 52.85 seconds ... Earned All-America honors in the 100m hurdles for the second time in the outdoor by placing 5th at the NCAA meet ... Big Ten 100m hurdle champion ... Won the 100m hurdles at the Texas Relays, Houston Quadrangular and Illinois Twilight ... Placed sixth in the 100m dash at the Big Ten Championship. Indoor - Was named Big Ten Indoor Freshman of the Year ... Set the school record in the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.99 (3/3/01) ... All-American in the 60m hurdles with a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships (3/9/01) ... Never finished lower than second in the 60m hurdles ... Won the 60m hurdle titles at the Illinois Invitational, Illinois Women’s Invite, Illini Classic and Iowa State Classic ... Finished third in the 60m dash at the Illini Classic with a time of 7.62 ... Finished fifth in the 200m dash at the Illinois Women’s Invitational with a time of 25.37.
2000
Earned All-American honors by placing sixth at the NCAA Outdoors in the 100m hurdles * Broke the four-year old school record in the 100m hurdles, running 12.91 during the prelims of the NCAA Championships * That time is also the fastest by a freshman in the history of the NCAA's * Won the Canadian National Championship in the 100m hurdles, earning a trip to Sydney for the 2000 Olympic Games * Ran second leg of Illinois' 4x100m relay that earned All-American honors with fifth place finish at NCAA's * Placed second at the Big Ten Championships in the 100m hurdles while finishing seventh in the 100m dash * Anchored Illinois' championship shuttle hurdle relay team at the Drake Relays, while also winning the indiviual 100m hurdles title at Drake * Redshirted the indoor season.
Prep Highlights
1999 Canadian Junior National Champion in the 100m hurdles * 1999 Nike Classic Scholastic Champion in the 60m hurdles * 1998 Ontario Secondary Schools Champion in the 100m hurdles, 200m dash, while finishing second in the 100m dash * Pine Ridge SS Athlete of the Year.
Personal Bests:
Indoor
60m: 7.37
60m Hurdles: 7.90(NCAA RECORD)
200m: 24.80
Outdoor
100m: 11.62
200m: 24.21
100m H: 12.73
Now check out what a supportive nation says to its athletes in their time of need:
"You are a true Canadian with a great attitude and although you may be feeling disappointed right now, just know that there are millions of Canadians like me who are blown away by your huge heart and great spirit."
Christy Jones
Markham, Ont.
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"Please do not feel like you must justify yourself to us – simply seeing you run, seeing you put your heart and soul into what you do makes us so proud of you."
Virginia
Chelsea, QC
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"You are still a Canadian hero Perdita. You have Canada's support and love."
Patricia Arab
Halifax, Nova Scotia
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"I hope the outpouring of love and support from all of your fellow Canadians will help you to realize that you have not let us down! You rock!"
Corinna and Stuart Adkins
Victoria, B.C.
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"I can only imagine your disappointment but we want you to know it was shared by all of us here at home and we hope you could feel the groundswell of support underneath you as you rose to your feet…YOU GO GIRL!"
Melody Farrell
Vancouver, B.C.
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"Perdita, all of Canada is so proud of you. One race does not take away from all your accomplishments. You are world class and you are a true Olympian."
Jackie Foord
Edmonton, AB
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"I write this with tears in my eyes. Not for lost gold but for how you must feel. You are an amazing ambassador for Canada and for sport. For those who admire you and for those who love you, one race changes nothing."
Gordon Koppang,
Lethbridge, Alberta
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"Perdita, I couldn't be more proud of you and your efforts. The hurdles final brought a tear to my eye, not because Canada did not win a medal, but rather because I could see the heartbreak on your face."
Mike Horler
Edmonton, Alberta
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"We know you will be there in four years winning the gold and all of Canada will be there cheering you on as we do now."
Fraser & Laura Armitage
Vancouver, B.C.
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"Perdita, you didn't let Canadians down. You're a star and we support you no matter what."
Jennifer A. Hamilton
Kentville, Nova Scotia
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"You are our hero, and role model because you exemplify grace, humility, perseverence, determination, and positive spirit."
Barb, Lyle, Elizabeth, Caitlin and Michael Griffith
Kenora, Ont.
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"You have represented Durham Region and Canada well. The way you carry yourself on and off of the track is something that makes Canadians proud."
Ron Brown
Ajax, Ont.
That's right, much respect.
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