Ryan Wilson (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Ryan Wilson is an American
track and field
athlete who specializes in the 110 meters hurdles. He was the 2003 NCAA champion in the event and won four hurdles titles in the Pacific-10 Conference. He was the bronze medal
ist at the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
and was the runner-up at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
.
His personal best time of 13.02 seconds, set in 2008 at the Reebok Grand Prix
, ranks him within the top twenty fastest of all time in the event.
. Competing for the USC Trojans
, he won he high hurdles
competition in the Pacific-10 Conference on three occasions. He came third at the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
in his second year. In his final year of college athletics
he won the NCAA title in the 110 m hurdles, as well as claiming both 110 and 400 meters hurdles titles in the PAC-10 outdoor competition.
but did not make it past the quarter-finals. After an uneventful 2005, he took third place at the 2006 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
and improved his personal best to 13.22 seconds. He won the 110 m hurdles for the United States at that year's DecaNation
event in France. He began 2007 with a win at the FBK Games and then set a career best at the Reebok Grand Prix
in New York City
, taking third behind Liu Xiang
and Terrence Trammell
in a time of 13.02 seconds. He was a regular fixture on the 2007 IAAF Golden League
circuit and reached the top three at top European meets including Herculis
, the British Grand Prix
, ISTAF, and a win at the London Grand Prix
. He reached the hurdles final at that year's national championships, but did not finish the race and missed a chance to compete at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
. Wilson ended the year as the fourth fastest hurdler of 2007
.
He failed to follow up on his breakthrough year in 2008 as he was knocked out in the semi-final round of the Olympic Trials and ended the season with a best run of 13.28 seconds. He did manage to win the bronze medal
at the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
, coming behind fellow American David Oliver. He started 2009 by posting a fast early season time of 13.19 seconds at the 100th anniversary of the Drake Relays
in April, setting a meet record in the process. He won at the Grande Premio Brasil Caixa de Atletismo
in May and then came third at the FBK Games. He performed poorly at the major meets that year, finishing last in four of his five outings, and also came last at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
. He was eliminated in the first round of the USA Outdoors that year.
The 2010 season marked a resurgence in Wilson's form as he came runner-up behind Oliver at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
. He then claimed three successive second places behind his compatriot on the 2010 IAAF Diamond League
that July, at the Prefontaine Classic
, Meeting Areva and Herculis
meets. He won the ISTAF Berlin meeting in August His season's best time of 13.12 seconds, set in Paris, saw him return to the top four in the annual hurdles rankings.110 Metres Hurdles 2010. IAAF (2011-01-26). Retrieved on 2011-02-05.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who specializes in the 110 meters hurdles. He was the 2003 NCAA champion in the event and won four hurdles titles in the Pacific-10 Conference. He was the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
ist at the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 6th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on September 13 and September 14, 2008.A number of road races also took place on the second day of competition. There were seven different starting points around the Stuttgart area and the distances varied...
and was the runner-up at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Drake Stadium, Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa on June 23-27, 2010. In order to boost the visibility of this event, USATF sponsored a member appreciation tent at the event and promoted the entire week as "Membership appreciation...
.
His personal best time of 13.02 seconds, set in 2008 at the Reebok Grand Prix
Reebok Grand Prix
The Adidas Grand Prix, formerly the Reebok Grand Prix, is an annual athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
, ranks him within the top twenty fastest of all time in the event.
College
Born in Columbus,Ohio, he competed in a variety of sports while at Westerville North High School and also earned Academic All-Ohio honours for his studies. He graduated in 1999 and moved on to attend the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Competing for the USC Trojans
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
, he won he high hurdles
Hurdling
Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...
competition in the Pacific-10 Conference on three occasions. He came third at the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
in his second year. In his final year of college athletics
College athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
he won the NCAA title in the 110 m hurdles, as well as claiming both 110 and 400 meters hurdles titles in the PAC-10 outdoor competition.
Professional
After turning professional in 2004 he ran at the United States Olympic TrialsUnited States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
but did not make it past the quarter-finals. After an uneventful 2005, he took third place at the 2006 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
and improved his personal best to 13.22 seconds. He won the 110 m hurdles for the United States at that year's DecaNation
DecaNation
DecaNation is an annual track and field meeting organized by the French Athletics Federation since 2005. The competition comprises national teams of athletes competing in a decathlon, with each athlete competing in their specialised event to score points for their respective countries...
event in France. He began 2007 with a win at the FBK Games and then set a career best at the Reebok Grand Prix
Reebok Grand Prix
The Adidas Grand Prix, formerly the Reebok Grand Prix, is an annual athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, taking third behind Liu Xiang
Liu Xiang
Liu Xiang is a Chinese 110 meter hurdler. Liu is an Olympic Gold medalist and World Champion. His 2004 Olympic gold medal was the first in a men's track and field event for China....
and Terrence Trammell
Terrence Trammell
Terrence R. Trammell is a track and field athlete who won the silver medal in the 110 meter hurdles at both the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, as well as three silver medals at the World Championships.The 1997 Track & Field News Male High School Athlete of the Year attended the University of...
in a time of 13.02 seconds. He was a regular fixture on the 2007 IAAF Golden League
2007 IAAF Golden League
The 2007 Golden League was the 10th edition of the IAAF's annual series of six athletics meets, held across Europe, with athletes having the chance to win the Golden League Jackpot of $1 million.The Jackpot events were:* Men** 100 m** 1500 m / Mile...
circuit and reached the top three at top European meets including Herculis
Herculis
The Herculis is an annual track and field meet at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
, the British Grand Prix
British Grand Prix (athletics)
The British Grand Prix is an annual athletics meeting. It is part of the IAAF Diamond League series of track and field meets and it is sponsored by Aviva...
, ISTAF, and a win at the London Grand Prix
London Grand Prix
The Aviva London Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League...
. He reached the hurdles final at that year's national championships, but did not finish the race and missed a chance to compete at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
. Wilson ended the year as the fourth fastest hurdler of 2007
2007 in athletics (track and field)
This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2007.-World:*World Championships in Athletics*World Athletics Final*World Cross Country Championships...
.
He failed to follow up on his breakthrough year in 2008 as he was knocked out in the semi-final round of the Olympic Trials and ended the season with a best run of 13.28 seconds. He did manage to win the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 6th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on September 13 and September 14, 2008.A number of road races also took place on the second day of competition. There were seven different starting points around the Stuttgart area and the distances varied...
, coming behind fellow American David Oliver. He started 2009 by posting a fast early season time of 13.19 seconds at the 100th anniversary of the Drake Relays
Drake Relays
The Drake Relays is an annual outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, in Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University...
in April, setting a meet record in the process. He won at the Grande Premio Brasil Caixa de Atletismo
Grande Premio Brasil Caixa de Atletismo
The Grande Premio Brasil Caixa de Atletismo is an annual athletics event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as part of the IAAF World Challenge. It was first organized in 1985 , held at the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange.-History:...
in May and then came third at the FBK Games. He performed poorly at the major meets that year, finishing last in four of his five outings, and also came last at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 7th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 12 and September 13, 2009. The competition represented the culmination of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, a selection of athletics meetings which began on September 20, 2008 at the...
. He was eliminated in the first round of the USA Outdoors that year.
The 2010 season marked a resurgence in Wilson's form as he came runner-up behind Oliver at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Drake Stadium, Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa on June 23-27, 2010. In order to boost the visibility of this event, USATF sponsored a member appreciation tent at the event and promoted the entire week as "Membership appreciation...
. He then claimed three successive second places behind his compatriot on the 2010 IAAF Diamond League
2010 IAAF Diamond League
The 2010 IAAF Diamond League was the first edition of the Diamond League, an annual series of fourteen one-day track and field meetings. The series began on 14 May in Doha, Qatar and ended on 27 August in Brussels, Belgium....
that July, at the Prefontaine Classic
Prefontaine Classic
The Prefontaine Classic is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.-History:...
, Meeting Areva and Herculis
Herculis
The Herculis is an annual track and field meet at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
meets. He won the ISTAF Berlin meeting in August His season's best time of 13.12 seconds, set in Paris, saw him return to the top four in the annual hurdles rankings.110 Metres Hurdles 2010. IAAF (2011-01-26). Retrieved on 2011-02-05.