Lashinda Demus

LASHINDA DEMUS
Event: 400m Hurdles
Height: 5-7
Weight: 136
PR: 53.02 (2006)
Current Residence: Palmdale, Calif.
Born: March 10, 1983 in Inglewood, Calif.
High School: Woodrow Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.) HS '01
College: South Carolina '05
Coach: Yolanda Rich
Agent: Jamel Mayrant
Club: Nike

Career Highlights: Two-time USA Outdoor champion ('05, '06); 2005 World Outdoor silver medalist; 2004 Olympian; 2002 World Junior champion; 2002 USA Junior champion; 2002 NCAA Outdoor champion; 1999 Pan Am junior champion; 2003 SEC Indoors 4x400m champion; 2003 NCAA Indoor 400m champion

The world’s top-ranked 400m hurdler in 2006, the supremely talented and speedy Demus in 2008 attempted an unusual comeback from maternity, having given birth to twin boys in June 2007…At the Olympic Trials in Eugene, she had the lead for most of the race but faded to fourth in the homestretch…won her second straight national title in 2006 in a then-personal best, world-leading time of 53.07, and also won the $100,000 first prize in the Visa Championship Series with her performance... won gold at the 2005 USA Outdoor 400mH and went on to win a silver medal at the World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki with a personal best of 53.27…Demus exhibited the ability to run the open 400m with her win at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships...had a big lead heading into the penultimate hurdle at the 2004 Olympic Trials, but she hit the hurdle. Falling back into fourth-place, Demus recovered enough to move into 3rd and earn a spot on her first Olympic team...her time of 56.35 in winning the 2002 U.S. Junior title would've placed second at the 2002 USA Outdoor Championships behind winner Sandra Glover (ranked #3 in the world, #1 U.S.)...Demus broke her own World Junior record by clocking 54.70 to win the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica...her effort broke her own World Junior record set that June at the NCAA's 54.85. Demus led from wire-to-wire in Kingston, winning by almost a second and a half. As a South Carolina freshman in 2002, Demus anchored the Gamecocks 4x400m relay squad of Tiffany Ross, Tacita Bass and Demetria Washington to the 2002 NCAA title in collegiate record time of 3:26.46…ran second leg of Gamecocks 2002 NCAA Indoor champion 4x400m relay team (3:30.36)...departed the South Carolina team during the 2003 season…a sensational high school athlete, Demus was named a 2001 Track and Field News All-American in five events (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4x1, 4x4, sprint medley)...set national record in 300m hurdles (39.00)Demus was a member of her high schools 4x400m relay that set the national record her freshman and senior seasons...won state titles as a senior in the 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay after running around a hurdle and not qualifying for the state championships in the 300m hurdles.

2009: USA Outdoor champion (53.78WL)…1st at Baie Mahault (54.17)…1st at Rethymno (54.29).
2008: 4th at Olympic Trials (54.76)…6th at World Athletics Final (55.44)…1st at Reebok Grand Prix (55.17)…1st at Fort-de-France (53.99)…1st at Kingston (54.83)…ranked #8 in the world (#3 U.S.) by T&FN…best of 53.99.
2007: did not compete (maternity)
2006: USA Outdoor Champion (53.07)...1st at Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis (53.76)…1st at Golden Gala (53.51)…1st at Athens Super Grand Prix (53.02PR)…1st at World Athletics Final (53.42)…2nd at IAAF World Cup (54.06)…ranked #1 in the world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN…best of 53.02.
2005: World Outdoor Championships 400mH silver medalist (53.27)...USA Outdoor champion (53.35)...1st at Rio (54.60)...1st at Belem (53.56)...1st at Paris (53.85)...1st at Rome (53.68)...3rd at Oslo 400mH (54.59)...2nd at Zurich (53.83)...1st at Brussels (53.61)...1st at World Athletics Final (53.37)...6th in 400m at Nike Prefontaine Classic (51.92)...1st at Fortaleza (54.36)...ranked #2 in the world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 53.27.
2004: 3rd at Olympic Trials 400mH (53.43)...5th in semi finals at Olympic Games (54.32)...NCAA Outdoors runner-up (54.22)...NCAA Outdoors 4x400m relay runner-up (2nd leg - 3:28.09)...5th in 400m at NCAA Indoors (51.63i)...3rd at NCAA Indoors 4x400m relay (anchor - 3:30.27i)...1st in 400m at Atlanta (51.70)...1st in 400mH at Columbia, S.C. (54.87)...3rd in 100mH at SEC Championships (13.08)...SEC Champion in 400mH (54.50)...1st in 400mH at Gainesville (54.77)...1st in 400mH at Columbia (54.87)...ranked #10 in the world (#4 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 53.40 (400mH) & 51.41 (400m).
2003: 8th at USA Outdoors (59.05)...1st in semifinal at USA Outdoors (55.65)...1st in 400m at NCAA Indoors (51.79)...2nd at SEC Indoors 400m (52.91)...2nd in 4x400m relay at NCAA Indoors (3:28.25)...1st in Los Angeles Outdoors (55.92)...best of 55.65...ranked #9 in U.S. by T&FN.
2002: U.S. Junior champion (56.35)...NCAA Outdoor champ (54.85)...World Junior champ (54.70)...2nd at SEC Outdoors...anchored South Carolina women's 4x400m relay team to an NCAA record (3:26.46) at NCAA Outdoors...ran second leg on USC's NCAA Indoor 4x400m relay championship team (3:30.36)...ranked #9 in the world (#2 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 54.70.
2001: 5th at USA Outdoors (56.51)...8th in semis at WUGs...ranked #8 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 55.76
2000: Best of 40.41 (HS).
1999: USA Junior champion (57.95)...1st at Pan American Juniors...best of 57.04, 40.44 (HS).
1998: Bests of 14.23, 53.06.
1997: Best of 54.35

6/23/09
Courtesy USATF