Omar McLeod

McLeod was a promising high school athlete, running for Manchester High School and later Kingston College; during his early career, he competed in both the 110 m and 400 m hurdles.{{cite web |url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130804/sports/sports6.html |title=McLeod to attend University of Arkansas |author=Graham, Raymond |date=4 August 2013 |access-date=28 July 2015 |publisher=The Sunday Gleaner}} He represented Jamaica at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Lille, qualifying for the finals in both hurdles events; he placed fourth in the 110 m hurdles and eighth in the 400 m hurdles. At the CARIFTA Games, he won gold in the under-20 400 m hurdles for three consecutive years (2011, 2012 and 2013); he scored another five medals in the 110 m hurdles and 4 × 400 m relay including a relay gold in 2013.{{cite web |url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130401/sports/sports2.html |title=Jamaicans continue to dominate at Carifta |author=Graham, Raymond |date=April 2013 |publisher=The Gleaner}}{{tilastopaja|id=127853}}{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/hurdles/110-metres-hurdles/outdoor/men/senior |title=110 Metres Hurdles - men - senior - outdoor - All time best |publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations |access-date=28 July 2015}} He also won gold in the relay at the 2012 CAC Junior Championships in San Salvador.

In 2013, his final year in high school, McLeod set Jamaican junior records in both the 110 m (13.24 s) and 400 m hurdles (49.98 s) at the Boys and Girls Championships; he was the first Jamaican high schooler to break 50 s in the latter. After graduating from Kingston College, he went to the University of Arkansas on a track and field scholarship.

McLeod had no experience running indoors before his move to the United States, but adapted rapidly; he won the 60 m hurdles as a freshman at the 2014 NCAA indoor championships in Albuquerque with a personal best 7.57 s in the heats and 7.58 s in the final.{{cite news |url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20141230/freshman-mcleod-creates-big-impression-0 |title=Freshman McLeod creates big impression |newspaper=The Gleaner |date=30 December 2014 |access-date=28 July 2015}} Outdoors, he placed second in the 110 m hurdles at both the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships and West Regionals, but pulled a hamstring at the NCAA championships and missed the final.

File:Omar McLeod racing at the 2016 Doha Diamond League meeting.jpg

McLeod returned to competition in 2015; he won the SEC indoor title in a personal best 7.49. At the 2015 NCAA indoor championships he repeated as champion, running 7.55 in the heats and 7.45 in the final; his time in the final was a new Jamaican indoor record, broke Reggie Torian's NCAA record from 1997 and tied with Cuba's Orlando Ortega for the world's fastest time that winter.{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/bromell-dendy-mcleod-ncaa-indoor-champs |title=World leads for Bromell, Dendy and McLeod at NCAA Indoor Champs |author=Minshull, Phil |date=15 March 2015 |access-date=28 July 2015}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-lists?list_id=15&sex_id=M&yyear=2008 |title=Collegiate Indoor All-Time List - Men |author=Rorick, Jim |magazine=Track & Field News |access-date=28 July 2015}} Outdoors, McLeod set a personal best of 13.21 at the Drake Relays and won at both the SEC meet and the West Regionals. He entered the NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene as the favorite; he won, running 13.08 in the heats and 13.01 in the final, but both times were wind-aided.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/category-formcharts/2482-final-2015-ncaa-men-s-formchart |title=NCAA Formchart—Men |author=Auka, John |magazine=Track & Field News |access-date=28 July 2015 |date=2 June 2015}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/trackfield-outdoor-men/article/2015-06-13/arkansas-omar-mcleod-wins-two-titles-behind-memory |author=Maiman, Beth |title=Arkansas Omar McLeod wins two titles behind memory of his aunt |date=13 June 2015 |access-date=28 July 2015 |publisher=NCAA.com}} Only two collegiate athlete, Renaldo Nehemiah in 1979, had run faster in any conditions.{{cite magazine |url=http://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-lists?list_id=11&sex_id=M&yyear=2008 |title=Collegiate Outdoor All-Time List - Men |author=Rorick, Jim |access-date=28 July 2015 |magazine=Track & Field News}} In addition to his hurdles victory, McLeod ran on the Arkansas relay teams in both the 4 × 100 m relay and the 4 × 400 m relay; Arkansas won the 4 × 100 m in 38.47 and placed sixth in the longer relay.

After the 2015 collegiate season McLeod turned professional and signed an endorsement deal with Nike, forgoing his two remaining years as an NCAA athlete; although he stayed at Arkansas to complete his business studies, he lost his eligibility to represent the Arkansas Razorbacks.{{cite news |url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Omar-McLeod-to-go-pro-later-this-month_19152900 |newspaper=The Jamaica Observer |title=Omar McLeod to go pro later this month |author=Reid, Paul A. |date=26 June 2015 |access-date=28 July 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/mcleod-to-represent-nike-on-the-professional-circuit/ |title=McLeod to Represent Nike on the Professional Circuit |author=Ekema-Agbaw, Joy |publisher=Arkansas Razorbacks |date=6 July 2015 |access-date=28 July 2015}}

McLeod won the 110 m hurdles at the 2015 Jamaican Championships, defeating national record holder Hansle Parchment in a wind-legal 12.97 and breaking 13 seconds for the first time; the time was world-leading for a week.{{cite news |url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20150629/win-takes-mcleod-closer-beijing-goal |title=Win takes McLeod closer to Beijing goal |author=Levy, Leighton |date=29 June 2015 |newspaper=The Gleaner |access-date=28 July 2015}} He made his debut as a professional at the István Gyulai Memorial in Székesfehérvár on 7 July, but pulled up with a cramp and failed to finish.{{cite news |url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/athletics/VCB-clocks-first-sub-11-in-Hungary-100m-win_19188452 |title=VCB clocks first sub-11 in Hungary 100m win |author=Reid, Paul A. |newspaper=The Jamaica Observer |date=8 July 2015 |access-date=28 July 2015}}

At the start of the 2016 outdoor season, he ran 9.99 seconds for the 100 metres, becoming the first athlete to complete the 110 m hurdles in under 13 seconds and also break the 10-second barrier.Ramsak, Bob (2016-04-24). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/omar-mcleod-100m-110m-hurdles Hurdler McLeod makes history as a barrier breaker after 9.99 100m win]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-04-24.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won Gold in the 110 m hurdles.

Based on his outstanding athletic performance, McLeod was crowned [http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20180120/mcleod-atkinson-top-sports-awards Jamaica's 2017 Sportsman of the Year]. During 2017, he won six of seven 110 m hurdles races, including the World Championships in London.

At the 2019 World Championships, McLeod was disqualified in the final for a lane violation, impeding Orlando Ortega. Ortega was second in the 110 metres hurdles until McLeod stumbled into him and arrested his momentum.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2019/oct/02/world-athletics-championships-2019-asher-smith-goes-for-200m-gold-live |title=World Athletics Championships 2019: Asher-Smith wins 200m gold – as it happened |author=Carayol, Tumaini |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 October 2019 |access-date=2 October 2019}} After the appeal of the Spanish Federation, the IAAF awarded Ortega with a bronze medal.{{cite news |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-athletics-world/athletics-spains-ortega-gets-bronze-after-iaaf-agree-he-was-impeded-idUKKBN1WI296 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004001556/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-athletics-world/athletics-spains-ortega-gets-bronze-after-iaaf-agree-he-was-impeded-idUKKBN1WI296 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 October 2019 |title=Athletics: Spain's Ortega gets bronze after IAAF agree he was impeded |author=Homewood, Brian |date=3 October 2019 |access-date=4 October 2019}}

Information from IAAF profile or Track & Field Results Reporting System unless otherwise noted.{{cite web |url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/jamaica/omar-mcleod-262884 |title=OMAR MCLEOD ATHLETE PROFILE | website=iaaf.org |publisher=IAAF |access-date=1 September 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.tfrrs.org/athletes/4673631/Omar_McLeod.html |title=OMAR MCLEOD JAMAICA |website=tfrrs.org |publisher=Track & Field Results Reporting System |access-date=3 April 2019}}

! colspan=8|Representing {{JAM}}

|-

| rowspan=6|2011 || rowspan=3|CARIFTA Games (U20) || rowspan=3|Montego Bay, Jamaica || bgcolor=gold|1st || 400 m hurdles || 52.42 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| bgcolor=cc9966|3rd || 110 m hurdles || 14.10 || −0.8 || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| bgcolor=silver|2nd || 4 × 400 m relay || 3:09.41 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| rowspan=3|World Youth Championships || rowspan=3|Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France || 4th || 110 m hurdles || 13.61 || +0.1 || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| 8th || 400 m hurdles || 52.82 || n/a ||

|-

| {{AthAbbr|DNS}} || Medley relay || — || n/a ||

|-

| rowspan=4|2012 || rowspan=2|CARIFTA Games (U20) || rowspan=2|Hamilton, Bermuda || bgcolor=gold|1st || 400 m hurdles || 52.35 || n/a ||

|-

| bgcolor=cc9966|3rd || 4 × 400 m relay || 3:12.48 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|SB}}

|-

| CACAC Junior Championships (U20) || San Salvador, El Salvador || bgcolor=gold|1st || 4 × 400 m relay || 3:08.94 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| World Junior Championships || Barcelona, Spain || 1st (semi 1) || 4 × 400 m relay || 3:08.83 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|Q}}{{refn|group=note|Did not run in the final.}}, {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| rowspan=2|2013 || rowspan=2|CARIFTA Games (U20) || rowspan=2|Nassau, The Bahamas || bgcolor=gold|1st || 400 m hurdles || 51.46 || n/a ||

|-

| bgcolor=silver|2nd || 110 m hurdles || 13.57 || {{AthAbbr|NWI}} ||

|-

| 2015 || World Championships || Beijing, China || 6th || 110 m hurdles || 13.18 || +0.1 ||

|-

| rowspan=2|2016 || World Indoor Championships || Portland, Oregon, U.S. || bgcolor=gold|1st || 60 m hurdles || 7.41 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|WL}}, {{AthAbbr|NR}} {{cite web |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/2016/03/jamaicas_omar_mcleod_wins_mens.html |title=Jamaica's Omar McLeod wins mens 60-meter hurdles at 2016 World Indoor Championships |author=Erik C. Anderson |website=oregonlive.com |publisher=The Oregonian |date=20 March 2016 |access-date=3 April 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/-WorldIndoors--McLeod-wins-60mH-in-World-leading-time |title=#WorldIndoors: McLeod wins 60mH in World leading time |author=Paul Reid |website=jamaicaobserver.com |publisher=The Jamaica Observer |date=20 March 2016 |access-date=3 April 2019}}

|-

| Olympic Games || Rio de Janeiro, Brazil || bgcolor=gold|1st || 110 m hurdles || 13.05 || +0.2 ||

|-

| rowspan=2|2017 || rowspan=2|World Championships || rowspan=2|London, England || bgcolor=gold|1st || 110 m hurdles || 13.04 || 0.0 ||

|-

| {{AthAbbr|DNF}} || 4 × 100 m relay || — || n/a || Teammate injury {{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/olympics/2017/08/17/usain-bolt-tears-hamstring-world-championships-final-race |title=Usain Bolt Reveals Left Hamstring Tear From Final Race At World Championships |author=Chris Chavez |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=17 August 2017 |access-date=4 April 2019}}

|-

| 2019 || World Championships || Doha, Qatar || bgcolor=f5a9a9|{{AthAbbr|DQ}} || 110 m hurdles || — || +0.6 || Impeding competitors {{cite web |url=https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitiondocuments/pdf/6033/AT-110H-M-f----.RS6.pdf?v=-1040138193 |title=110 Metres Hurdles Men - Final |publisher=IAAF |date=3 October 2019 |access-date=7 October 2019}}

|}

! colspan=8|Representing Manchester High School

|-

| rowspan=4|2012 || rowspan=2|Jamaican Secondary School Championships (U19) || rowspan=2|Kingston, Jamaica || bgcolor=cc9966|3rd || 400 m hurdles || 51.30 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| 4th || 110 m hurdles || 14.66 || −6.3 ||

|-

| rowspan=2|Jamaican Junior Championships || rowspan=2|Kingston, Jamaica || bgcolor=cc9966|3rd || 400 m hurdles || 51.16 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| bgcolor=cc9966|3rd || 110 m hurdles || 13.83 || −1.8 || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

! colspan=8|Representing Kingston College

|-

| rowspan=3|2013 || Jamaican CARIFTA Trials (U20) || Kingston, Jamaica || bgcolor=gold|1st || 400 m hurdles || 51.05 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| rowspan=2|Jamaican Secondary School Championships (U19) || rowspan=2|Kingston, Jamaica || bgcolor=gold|1st || 400 m hurdles || 49.98 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|NJR}}, {{AthAbbr|CR}}, {{AthAbbr|PB}} {{cite web |url=https://www.iaaf.org/news/series/omar-mcleod-champs-2013 |title=That moment when… McLeod came top of his class |author=Steve Landells |website=iaaf.org |publisher=IAAF |date=11 June 2017 |access-date=4 April 2019}}

|-

| bgcolor=gold|1st || 110 m hurdles || 13.24 || +0.4 || {{AthAbbr|NJR}}, {{AthAbbr|CR}}, {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

! colspan=8|Representing the Arkansas Razorbacks

|-

| rowspan=3|2014 || rowspan=2|NCAA Division I Indoor Championships || rowspan=2|Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. || bgcolor=gold|1st || 60 m hurdles || 7.58 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|A}}

|-

| bgcolor=cc9966|3rd || 4 × 400 m relay || 3:06.29 || n/a ||

|-

| NCAA Division I Championships || Eugene, Oregon, U.S. || {{AthAbbr|DNF}} (semi 3) || 110 m hurdles || — || +0.2 || Injury {{cite web |url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20141230/freshman-mcleod-creates-big-impression-0 |title=Freshman McLeod Creates Big Impression |author=André Lowe |website=jamaica-gleaner.com |publisher=The Gleaner |date=30 December 2014 |access-date=4 April 2019}}

|-

| rowspan=6|2015 || rowspan=2|NCAA Division I Indoor Championships || rowspan=2|Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S. || bgcolor=gold|1st || 60 m hurdles || 7.45 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|WL}}, {{AthAbbr|NR}}, {{AthAbbr|NCAAR}}, {{AthAbbr|CR}}, {{AthAbbr|PB}} {{cite web |url=https://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/03/omar-mcleod-of-arkansas-breaks-18-year-old-ncaa-record-in-mens-60-hurdles-gets-jamaican-mark-as-well/ |title=Omar McLeod of Arkansas Breaks 18-Year Old NCAA Record in Men's 60 Hurdles, Gets Jamaican Mark as Well |website=letsrun.com |date=14 March 2015 |access-date=4 April 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://trackalerts.com/Articles/mcleod-lowers-two-records-on-way-to-ncaa-glory/13394 |title=McLeod lowers two records on way to NCAA glory |website=trackalerts.com |date=15 March 2015 |access-date=4 April 2019}}

|-

| 8th || 4 × 400 m relay || 3:08.04 || n/a ||

|-

| rowspan=3|NCAA Division I Championships || rowspan=3|Eugene, Oregon, U.S. || bgcolor=gold|1st || 110 m hurdles || 13.01 {{AthAbbr|w}} || +3.9 || Wind-assisted

|-

| bgcolor=gold|1st || 4 × 100 m relay || 38.47 || n/a || {{AthAbbr|PB}}

|-

| 6th || 4 × 400 m relay || 3:05.91 || n/a ||

|-

| Jamaican Championships || Kingston, Jamaica || bgcolor=gold|1st || 110 m hurdles || 12.97 || +1.0 || {{AthAbbr|WL}}, {{AthAbbr|CR}}, {{AthAbbr|PB}} {{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-jamaica-idUSKBN0P802J20150628 |title=McLeod upsets Parchment in 110m hurdles in Jamaica trials |author=Kayon Raynor |author2=Greg Stutchbury |website=reuters.com |publisher=Reuters |date=27 June 2015 |access-date=4 April 2019}}

|-

! colspan=8|Representing Nike

|-

| 2016 || Jamaican Championships || Kingston, Jamaica || bgcolor=gold|1st || 110 m hurdles || 13.01 || +0.4 ||

|-

| 2017 || Jamaican Championships || Kingston, Jamaica || bgcolor=gold|1st || 110 m hurdles || 12.90 || +0.7 || {{AthAbbr|WL}}, {{AthAbbr|NR}}, {{AthAbbr|CR}}, {{AthAbbr|PB}} {{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-jamaica-idUSKBN19G02X |title=Athletics: Olympic champion McLeod sets sizzling 110m hurdles pace |author=Kayon Raynor |website=reuters.com |publisher=Reuters |date=24 June 2017 |access-date=3 April 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/40396302 |title=Omar McLeod: Olympic gold medallist sets sights on 110m hurdles world record |website=bbc.com |publisher=BBC |date=25 June 2017 |access-date=3 April 2019}}

|}

Representing Nike

{{Grand Slam Track}}

• Diamond League
• Doha: 2016
• Shanghai: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• Eugene: 2016, 2017, 2018
• Birmingham: 2019

As of 7 September 2024, McLeod holds the following track records for 110 metres hurdles.

{{reflist|group=note}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• {{World Athletics}}
• {{TFRRS|4673631}}
• [http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/roster/omar-mcleod-2/ Omar McLeod] at the Arkansas Razorbacks
• {{Olympedia}}
• {{Olympics.com}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLEpqPW-sAA Rio Replay: Men's 110m Hurdles Final] by the Olympic Channel via YouTube
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyaDyJZU75M Men's 110m Hurdles Final | London 2017] by IAAF via YouTube

{{s-start}}

{{s-ach|rec}}

{{s-bef|before=Maurice Wignall}}

{{s-ttl|title=Men's 60 m hurdles Jamaican record holder|years=14 March 2015 - present}}

{{s-inc}}

{{s-bef|before=Hansle Parchment}}

{{s-ttl|title=Men's 110 m hurdles Jamaican record holder|years=24 June 2017 - present}}

{{s-inc}}

{{s-end}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-ach|ach}}

{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|FRA}} Pascal Martinot-Lagarde}}

{{s-ttl|title=Men's 60 m hurdles season's best|years=2015, 2016}}

{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|GBR}} Andrew Pozzi}}

{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|CUB}} Orlando Ortega}}

{{s-ttl|title=Men's 110 m hurdles season's best|years=2016, 2017}}

{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|RUS}} Sergey Shubenkov}}

{{s-end}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 110 m hurdles Men}}

{{Footer World Champions 110 m hurdles Men}}

{{Footer World Indoor Champions 60m Hurdles Men}}

{{Jamaican Sportsman of the Year}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLeod, Omar}}

Category:1994 births

Category:Living people

Category:Athletes from Kingston, Jamaica

Category:Jamaican male hurdlers

Category:21st-century Jamaican sportsmen

Category:Jamaican male sprinters

Category:Arkansas Razorbacks men's track and field athletes

Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Jamaica

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic athletes for Jamaica

Category:Olympic gold medalists for Jamaica

Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)

Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:World Athletics Championships medalists

Category:Olympic male hurdlers

Category:World Athletics Championships winners

Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships winners

Category:People educated at Kingston College (Jamaica)

Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners

Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners

Category:Diamond League winners