Tahesia Harrigan-Scott

Last updated

Tahesia Harrigan
Tahesia Harrigan-Scott 2012.jpg
Tahesia Harrigan-Scott at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full nameTahesia Gaynell Harrigan-Scott
Born (1982-02-15) 15 February 1982 (age 43)
Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands
Height1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight54 kg (119 lb)
Sport
CountryFlag of the British Virgin Islands.svg  British Virgin Islands
Sport Athletics
Event Sprint
Medal record
Women's Athletics
Representing the Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg  British Virgin Islands
World Indoor Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2008 Valencia 60 metres
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2006 Cartagena de Indias 100 metres
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Mayagüez 100 metres
Updated on 28 December 2014

Tahesia Gaynell Harrigan-Scott (born 15 February 1982) is a sprinter from the British Virgin Islands. [1] She was the first woman to represent the British Virgin Islands at the Olympics. [2]

Contents

Career

Harrigan was born in the Virgin Islands to Doris Harrigan. Harrigan's illustrious track and field career began in Tallahassee, Florida. As a 14-year-old 9th grader, she carried Florida A&M University's Developmental and Research High School female track team to its first Class 1-A Florida High School Athletic Association state track and field championship win in over ten years by sweeping the 100 metres, 200 metres, the long jump and triple jump.

Some other highlights of her prep career include 13 FHSAA State Championship Track and Field victories as an individual or part of a relay team in high school ( 8 of those victories being going undefeated all four years in the 100 and 200 metres, 3 in the long jump, 2 in the triple jump,).

After graduating from high school as salutatorian in the spring of 2000, she was approached by several reputable Florida collegiate track and field programs, but chose the University of Minnesota for its medical program. She red shirted her first year due to a fractured tibia, Harrigan exploded on to the university's conference scene setting school and conference records in the women's 60 m, 100 m, 200 m, and the long jump in 2002. [3] She went on that year to compete as a representative of her country (BVI) in the Central American and Caribbean Games where she had a very good first showing.

In 2004, Harrigan transferred to the University of Alabama where she honed her athletic prowess even further becoming a SEC powerhouse and an NCAA finalist. [4] She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2005 and a Masters in Speech Pathology in 2007 from Alabama. She was an All American at the University of Alabama and the University of Minnesota. She won the 100 metres race at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games, and finished fifth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The OECS sports desk named her most outstanding female athlete in 2006 for her top performances in international meets.

Harrigan began her career as a professional sprinter in the spring of 2007. She has competed in several professional track meets in the US and abroad. Of the many sprint-oriented events she competes in, the crown jewel would have to be her current personal record in the 100 metres of 11.13 seconds.

At the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, Harrigan finished third in the final of the Women's 60m posting a new BVI national record of 7.09 sec. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing she competed at the 100 metres sprint. In her first round heat she placed third behind Christine Arron and Lauryn Williams in a time of 11.46 to advance to the second round. There she failed to qualify for the semi-finals as her time of 11.36 was only the fifth time of her heat, causing elimination. [1]

Harrigan-Scott tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine in 2011, and was subsequently handed a 6-month ban from sports. [5]

Personal bests

EventResultVenueDate
Outdoor
100 m11.12 s(wind: +1.6 m/s) Flag of the United States.svg Miramar, Florida 11 June 2011
200 m22.98 s(wind: +0.9 m/s) Flag of Italy.svg Donnas 15 July 2007
400 m54.06 s Flag of the United States.svg Coral Gables, Florida 29 March 2014
Long jump6.06 m(wind: +1.8 m/s) Flag of the United States.svg Walnut, California 16 April 2005
Indoor
60 m7.09 s Flag of Spain.svg Valencia 7 March 2008
200 m24.10 s Flag of the United States.svg State College, Pennsylvania 24 February 2002
400 m57.88 s Flag of the United States.svg Minneapolis, Minnesota 20 January 2001
Long jump6.17 m Flag of the United States.svg Gainesville, Florida 24 February 2006
Triple jump11.93 m Flag of the United States.svg Clemson, South Carolina 21 January 2006

Achievements

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing the Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg  British Virgin Islands
1998 Central American and Caribbean
Junior Championships
(U17)
Georgetown, Cayman Islands 5th100 m12.22 w(wind: +2.4 m/s)
5th200 m25.35 (wind: 0.0 m/s)
1999 Pan American Junior Championships Tampa, United States6th100 m11.96 (wind: 0.0 m/s)
5th (h)200 m25.08 (wind: -0.9 m/s)
8thLong jump5.54 m (wind: NWI)
2002 Commonwealth Games Manchester, United Kingdom15th (sf)100m 11.62 (wind: +0.3 m/s)
2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships Nassau, Bahamas 2nd100 m 11.29 (wind: +1.1 m/s)
World Championships Helsinki, Finland19th (qf)100 m 11.47 (wind: -0.8 m/s)
2006 Commonwealth Games Melbourne, Australia5th100 m 11.48 (wind: +0.2 m/s)
Central American and Caribbean Games Cartagena, Colombia 1st100 m 11.15 w(wind: +0.5 m/s)
2007 Pan American Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil4th100 m 11.34 (wind: +0.8 m/s)
World Championships Osaka, Japan6th (qf)100 m 11.33 (wind: -0.2 m/s)
6th (qf)200 m 23.52 (wind: +0.7 m/s)
2008 World Indoor Championships Valencia, Spain 3rd60 m 7.09
Olympic Games Beijing, China16th (qf)100 m 11.36 (wind: +0.4 m/s)
2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships La Habana, Cuba1st100 m 11.21 (wind: +0.8 m/s)
World Championships Berlin, Germany7th (sf)100 m 11.34 (wind: -0.1 m/s)
2010 World Indoor Championships Doha, Qatar6th60 m 7.17
Central American and Caribbean Games Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 1st100 m 11.19 (wind: 0.0 m/s)
Commonwealth Games Delhi, India5th100 m 11.56 (wind: +0.2 m/s)
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom7th (h)100 m 11.59 (wind: +0.4 m/s)
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia31st (h)100 m 11.61 (wind: -0.4 m/s)
2014 World Indoor Championships Sopot, Poland8th (sf)60 m 7.17
Central American and Caribbean Games Xalapa, México 8th100m 11.93 A(wind: +1.5 m/s)
2015 NACAC Championships San José, Costa Rica4th100m 11.28 (wind: -0.1 m/s)
World Championships Beijing, China33rd (h)100 m 11.47
2016 World Indoor Championships Portland, United States 15th (sf)60 m 7.23
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 37th (h)100 m 11.54
2017 IAAF World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 10th (h)4 × 100 m relay 44.78
7th4 × 200 m relay 1:35.35
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 39th (h)60 m 7.50
Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 13th (sf)100 m 11.63
Central American and Caribbean Games Barranquilla, Colombia 7th100 m 11.69
NACAC Championships Toronto, Canada 7th100 m 11.61

References

  1. 1 2 "Athlete biography: Tahesia Harrigan". Beijing2008.cn. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Archived from the original on 9 September 2008. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
  2. "First female competitors at the Olympics by country". Olympedia. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  3. WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD TEAM TO HOST FINAL INDOOR HOME MEET, Minnesota Golden Gophers , retrieved 29 December 2014
  4. Former Alabama Track Star Tahesia Harrigan Finished fourth at the Pan-Am Games, Alabama Crimson Tide , retrieved 29 December 2014
  5. UPDATE: Harrigan-Scott apologises for being suspended – says illegal substance was used unintentionally, Virgin Islands News Online, 9 November 2011
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg  British Virgin Islands
Beijing 2008
London 2012
Succeeded by