Dawn Harper

Sport: Track and Field

Nation: United States of America

DOB: May 13, 1984

Hometown: East St. Louis, IL

Career Highlights: Harper heads to London looking to defend her Olympic title in the 100-meter hurdles after finishing first at the U.S. track trials with a time of 12.73 seconds. She won in Beijing by running a then-personal best 12.54 seconds to beat favorite Lolo Jones, who tripped on the second-to-last hurdle and finished seventh. Harper only made the Olympic team because she beat out Nichole Denby at the trials for the final spot in the event by 0.007 seconds. Despite clocking a personal-best 12.47 seconds in the 100m hurdles at the 2011 world championships, Harper took home the bronze. She finished just behind fellow American Danielle Carruthers, who had the same time. Harper was a two-time All-American at UCLA, and in early 2008 before the Beijing Games, she and her husband lived in a fraternity house near the UCLA campus. She still lives in Los Angeles and trains under Bob Kersee, husband of Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Olympic History: 2008