Britton Wilson (born 13 November 2000) is an American track and field athlete specializing in the 400 meters hurdles and 400 meters. She finished fifth in the 400 m hurdles at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, her major championship debut. Wilson is the North American indoor record holder for the 400 m dash with a time of 49.48 seconds, set on March 11, 2023, in Albuquerque.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Born | 13 November 2000 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Education | University of Arkansas | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | ||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 400 metres hurdles, 400 metres | ||||||||||||||
| College team | Arkansas Razorbacks | ||||||||||||||
| Club | Adidas | ||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Chris Johnson | ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| Personal bests |
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Medal record
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She was the first North American woman to break the 50-second barrier and only the second woman ever under 49.50 s in the indoor 400 m. At the same meet in March 2023, she was part of the mixed nationality women's team that set the fastest indoor performance in history in the 4 × 400 m relay with 3:21.75. At the time, her split of 49.19 s was the fastest indoor split in world history. Wilson is a two-time individual NCAA Division I champion.
Career
edit2021–2022
editInitially a student at the University of Tennessee, Wilson switched to University of Arkansas in 2021 after suffering mental health issues.[1][2] The change to Arkansas proved a catalyst to her most successful season as she won the 400 meters hurdles at the NCAA Division I Outdoors in June 2022 representing the Arkansas Razorbacks in a time of 53.86, finishing nearly a whole second ahead of second-placed Anna Hall.[3] Prior to this Wilson had won both the 400 m hurdles and 400 m dash at the SEC Championships as well as helped the Razorbacks to third in the 4 x 400 m relay with a split time of 48.60, the fastest ever single lap in collegiate history.[4]
She finished second in the 400 m hurdles to world record holder Sydney McLaughlin at the 2022 USATF Championships as McLaughlin broke her own world record. Wilson ran a personal best time of 53.08 as runner up.[5] She was named in the American squad for the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she placed fifth in the final in a time of 54.02 s.[6]
2023–present
editWilson's 2023 indoor season started with a collegiate indoor record in the 600 m with a time of 1:25.16, beating Athing Mu's previous best set in 2021.[7] On March 11 at the NCCA Division I Indoors in Albuquerque, New Mexico (at altitude), she broke the North American indoor 400 m record by over half a second with the second-fastest mark on the respective world all-time list of 49.48 seconds, a time that would have been a world indoor record before February 19 when Femke Bol achieved 49.26 s. It was the fastest ever run by a collegian indoors or out as Wilson's mark bettered Mu's NCAA outdoor record (49.57). She added title for the 4 x 400 m relay with a 49.19 s anchor, the fastest indoor split in world history.[8][9]
Britton showed no mercy to the collegiate record book about a month later again and eventually broke Mu's outdoor record too, clocking 49.51 s at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Florida.[10] She lowered her record to 49.13 seconds at the SEC Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a further month later, on May 13, to move up to fourth / eighth / 17th on the U.S. / NACAC / world all-time lists respectively.[11] The 22-year-old won also the 400 m hurdles in 53.28 s just an hour later to achieve the best ever one-day such double.[12]
Competing at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Eugene, Oregon, she finished second in the final of the 400m.[13] A few days later on July 10, Wilson announced she would forego the rest of her NCAA eligibility and had signed a professional contract with Adidas.[14] She was selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023.[15]
Achievements
editPersonal bests
edit| Event | Time | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 m hurdles | 53.08 | Eugene, OR, United States | June 25, 2022 | |
| 400 meters | 49.13 | Baton Rouge, LA, United States | May 13, 2023 | CR, 4th U.S. all time |
| 4 × 400 m relay split | 48.60 | Oxford, MS, United States | May 14, 2022 | fourth leg, 1st collegiate all time |
| 400 meters indoor | 49.48 i | Albuquerque, NM, United States | March 11, 2023 | A CR North American record, 2nd all time |
| 4 × 400 m relay indoor split | 49.19 i | Albuquerque, NM, United States | March 11, 2023 | A, fourth leg, 1st all time |
| 600 meters indoor | 1:25.16 i | Fayetteville, AR, United States | January 13, 2023 | CR |
| 800 meters indoor | 2:02.13 i | Fayetteville, AR, United States | February 17, 2023 |
International competitions
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Pan American U20 Championships | San José, Costa Rica | 5th | 400 m hurdles | 58.19 | |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 5th | 400 m hurdles | 54.02 | (sf: 53.72) |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:17.79 | WL (49.39 split) | |||
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 46th (h) | 400 m | 53.87 |
National championships
editReferences
edit- ^ "Britton Wilson: I knew I could be one of the best". 18 July 2022 – via arkansasrazorbacks.com.
- ^ Joachim, Zach (29 May 2022). "Britton Wilson perseveres through mental health struggles to make track and field history, details historic SEC meet". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
- ^ "Britton Wilson wins NCAA 400m hurdle title, Razorbacks finish sixth". Arkansas Razorbacks. 11 June 2022.
- ^ "Britton Wilson runs the fastest single lap in college history". 18 May 2022.
- ^ "Britton Wilson, Shamier Little advance to World Championships in 400m hurdles". Arkansas Razorbacks. University of Arkansas. 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Wilson, Little take their hurdle bond to the top". wholehogsports.com. 14 July 2022.
- ^ Price, Shawn (22 March 2023). "Ackera Nugent Joins Britton Wilson On Bowerman Watch List". Arkansas Razorbacks. University of Arkansas. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ "Alfred, Garland and Wilson threaten world records at NCAA Indoor Championships". World Athletics. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ Hollobaugh, Jeff (15 March 2023). "Britton Wilson Came To Win At The NCAA Indoor". Track & Field News. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ Mayforth, Tyler (15 April 2023). "Collegiate Record: Britton Wilson Sets All-Time Outdoor 400-Meter Best". USTFCCCA. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ "All time Top lists – 400 m Women – World Outdoors". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "Wilson clocks 49.13 for 400m, Hibbert breaks world U20 triple jump record with 17.87m". World Athletics. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone coasts to 400 win at US track and field championships in her newest event". The Hamilton Spectator. 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ Chavez, Chris (10 July 2023). "Britton Wilson Signs With Adidas After Qualifying For World Championships 400m". Citius Mag. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan (7 August 2023). "USATF Announces 2023 World Championship Roster". letsrun.com. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- ^ Britton Wilson profile – Athletic.net
- ^ Britton Wilson profile – TFRRS
