Shalonda Solomon

Shalonda Solomon (born December 19, 1985) is an American track and field sprinter. Her greatest international accomplishment is a silver medal in the 100 m at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup, while representing the Americas team. She qualified for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics by winning the 200 m at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Her 22.15 in winning that race was the world-leading time for 2011. While running in the World Championships, she ran far slower than at the National Championships, finishing a fourth-place in the 200 m behind Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown, and American teammates Carmelita Jeter and defending champion Allyson Felix. Later in those championships, she won a gold medal by serving on the American 4 × 100 m relay team in the preliminary rounds, being replaced by Felix in the final. She has a distinct head bob while running, something noticeable since high school.

Shalonda Solomon
Solomon during the 2010 USATF Championships
Personal information
Nationality United States
Born (1985-12-19) December 19, 1985
Los Angeles, California
Height5 ft 6 1⁄2 in (1.69 m)
Weight125 lb (57 kg)
Sport
SportRunning
Event(s)100 metres, 200 metres
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  United States
World Championships
2011 Daegu4×100 m relay
World Relay Championships
2014 Nassau4×200 m relay
Continental Cup
2010 Split4×100 m relay
2010 Split100 m
World Junior Championships
2004 Grosseto200 m
2004 Grosseto4×100 m relay
NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics
2006 Santo Domingo200 m
2006 Santo Domingo4×100 m relay
2006 Santo Domingo100 m
Pan American Junior Championships
2003 Bridgetown100 m
2003 Bridgetown200 m
2003 Bridgetown4×100 m relay

Biography

While at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, Solomon was named the Gatorade Athlete of the Year for the school year 2003–2004.[1] At the CIF California State Meet, as a freshman in 2001 she finished just 0.02 behind Allyson Felix in the 100 m (and third behind Felix in the 200 m).[2] In 2002 as a sophomore, she finished second to Felix in the 100 m see the race and 200 m see the race, and ran on her team's dominant 4 × 100 m relay and 4 × 400 m relay victories, leading her team to the team title.,[3] a feat she and her team duplicated in 2003[4] and in 2004, except after the graduation of Felix, Soloman was beaten by Bishop Amat Memorial High School senior Jasmin Baldwin.

While still in high school, Shalonda Solomon won the USA Junior Outdoor Championship at both 100 m and 200 m. This qualified her to run in the 2003 Pan American Junior Championships in Barbados for the United States, where she walked away with three gold medals in the two short sprints as well as the 4 × 100 m relay. Her victory at 200 m in 22.93 was a championship record performance. In her senior season in high school, Solomon finished runner-up in the 100 m and 200 m at the CIF State Meet, losing to a strong double win by Jasmine Baldwin, who ran 11.35 at 100 m and 22.86 at 200 m. Solomon did come through victorious in the 4 × 100 m relay and the 4 × 400 m relay, which is why she was voted the Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row. During the summer of her final season of high school track, she had another great international performance, winning gold in the 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics.[5]

Solomon moved to the collegiate level at the University of South Carolina, where she ran on their 2005 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship 4 × 400 m relay team. The following year she won both the NCAA Indoor and outdoor championship in the 200 m.[6]

Shalonda Solomon finished second behind Felix at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In 2006 Solomon was named Women's Indoor Scholar Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.[7] Her junior year was limited by a strained left quadriceps muscle.

In 2007 Shalonda Solomon announced she would forgo her senior year of eligibility to turn professional after earning 10 NCAA All American honors,[8][9] ultimately signing with Reebok.[10]

In 2010, she repeated a second place at the USA National Championships in the 200 m.

In 2011, Solomon beat Carmelita Jeter to win the USA National Championships in the 200 m and qualify for the World Championships.

At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials (track and field), Solomon finished 12th in the 100 m and 20th in the 200 m representing Reebok in 11.29[11] and 24.17[12] respectively.

In 2013, Solomon finished 5th in the 200 m at the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 22.33.[13]

In 2014, Solomon finished 5th in the 100 m and 4th in the 200 m at the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships[14] in 11.40 and 22.54 respectively.

In 2015, Solomon represented adidas finished 11th in the 200 m at the 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[15]

References
  1. "All-Time Gatorade National Players of the Year" (PDF). gatorade.com. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  2. "State Finals - 2001". Dyestatcal.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  3. "State Finals - 2002". Dyestatcal.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  4. "State Finals - 2003". Dyestatcal.com. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  5. "Shalonda Solomon". Usatf.org. 1985-12-19. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  6. "Player Bio: Shalonda Solomon - SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS". Gamecocksonline.cstv.com. 1985-12-19. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  7. "South Carolina's Richardson, Auburn's Martin, and Arizona State's Whiting Top USTFCCCA Division I Men's All-Academic Track and Field Teams". ustfccca.org. 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  8. http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/c-track/mtt/solomon_shalonda00.html
  9. "internet home of California track". DyeStatCal. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  10. "Shalonda Solomon". Globalathletics.com. 1985-12-19. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  11. http://www.legacy.usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/results/Results2-2.htm
  12. http://www.legacy.usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicTrials-TF/results/Results4-2.htm
  13. http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2013/USATFCS/Events/USA-Outdoor-Track---Field-Championships/Results---Full.aspx
  14. http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2014/USATF-Outdoor-Championships/Complete-Results.aspx
  15. http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2015/USATF-Outdoor-Championships/Results-by-Day/Results-FULL.aspx
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