London 2012: 10 Things You Need to Know About USA Track's Carmelita Jeter

Track and field is one of the more historical and intriguing aspects of the Olympic Games, and in 2012, Carmelita Jeter will take London by storm. The California native is blazing fast and has the accolades to prove it.

At the age of 32 years old, this will likely be her last time competing in the Olympics, so Jeter will try to put her stamp on what has been a historical career. Her rise to stardom has been meteoric and astounding, but there are many things that have occurred in her life to make her who she is today.

Here are 10 things you need to know about the woman who is Carmelita Jeter.

1. She Is the 2011 IAAF World Champion in the 100-Meter Dash

Jeter blew away the competition at this event held in Daegu, South Korea, in 2011.

In this race, Jeter tied the championship record previously held by Marion Jones when she ran the 100-meter dash in a blazing 10.70 seconds.

This record had been held since 1999, and to tie Jones in any track accolade is a feat in itself. This competition is one of the more competitive events in the world aside from the Olympics and has been around for nearly 100 years.

Jeter was victorious against some of the fastest women in the world, including the then-reigning world and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser.

Jeter also won gold in the 4x100-meter relay at this race, along with a silver medal in the 200-meter dash.

2. She Is the 2nd-Fastest Woman of All Time

On Sept. 20, 2009, Carmelita Jeter ran one of the fastest 100-meter dashes in the history of women's track with her blazing sprint of 10.64 seconds.

Only Florence Griffith-Joyner has run a faster 100-meter when she ran a 10.49 way back in 1988.

Jeter will go down in history as one of the best sprinters ever, and she has run three of the fastest races ever in women's track and field. Her prowess on the track is simply unbelievable, and to be compared to greats such as Marion Jones and Griffith-Joyner lets you know just how great Jeter is.

3. She Was a Former Basketball Star in High School

Even with all of her greatness on the track, believe it or not, the sport that has earned her world-wide recognition was not her first love.

What was her favorite sport growing up?

Basketball.

Jeter was one of the premier players in the state of California. She attended Bishop Montgomery High School, which is just outside of Beverly Hills, Calif. Her brother, Eugene, was also a standout basketball player, and he played for the NBA's Sacramento Kings.

In fact, it was her basketball coach who suggested she try track in the first place, based off of how fast she was on the court. She then proved her coach right when she posted a 11.7 sprint in her first-ever 100-meter dash.

4. She Re-Learned How to Run at Age 29

It is very rare that an athlete successfully re-learns how to do anything in their sport of choice—just ask Tiger Woods.

But Jeter, along with her coach John Smith, did just that, when Smith used digital elements (basically video games) to break down her run style.

The result?

Jeter trimmed 0.16 seconds of her then-fastest time and became the fastest woman in the world. This computer generation allowed her to further study her stride, and she admits that this is what has caused her meteoric rise in the sport.

In an article found in the Washington Post written by Amy Shipley, Jeter goes into more detail about her electronic-oriented training:

"

"It took a while," she said before a recent weekday training session at West Los Angeles College in Culver City. "It didn’t happen overnight. [Before], I was running age group, like a kid. I was just out there running, all over the place, my head bobbing, arms moving from side to side. Now, I look like a professional."

"

5. She Is the Best Sprinter to Ever Come from Cal State Dominguez Hills

Wouldn't it be nice to be a legend at your college?

Well, Carmelita Jeter is just that at Cal Dominguez, a Division II school in California where she was a six-time All-American sprinter.

She was the first-ever athlete from this university to qualify for the Olympic trials back in 2004. Hands-down, Jeter was one of the better sprinters in the nation, and amazingly she had little-to-no formal training up to this point.

What is admirable about Jeter is that she was not an immediate success in sprinting at the Olympic level.

In fact, in her first Olympic trial she did not make it out of the first round, but that did not deter her. She also failed to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, and this is where she found John Smith for his tutelage in sprinting.

Jeter is a testament to what hard work will get you; when she failed, she kept trying over and over until she reached her dream.

6. She Won USATF's Jesse Owens Award

Winning this award further solidifies Jeter as the best women's sprinter in the world, and this award is given to the best American track athlete in the country.

Jeter earned it for winning gold in the 100-meter dash as well as the silver medal for the 200-meter in the 2011 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

She also posted the fastest time of any woman in the entire competition, with a time of 10.70 seconds, and she keeps proving doubters wrong with her dominant performances on the track.

Heading into the London Olympics this summer, Jeter will undoubtedly be the favorite to take home gold for the United States.

7. She Also Was a Standout Student in College

Carmelita "The Jet" Jeter was a standout student at Cal Dominguez, where she earned a degree in kinesiology.

It is always refreshing to see an outstanding athlete also excel in the classroom, and Jeter did just that when she graduated from college in 2006. She is a great role model for any young athlete out there because she has had to work for everything she has received, whether in the classroom or the track.

8. Coach John Smith Is 1 of the Best Sprint Coaches in the World

For those who do not know who John Smith is, he is one of the elite track coaches in the world and has coached the likes of Maurice Green and Ato Boldon. Smith was a standout sprinter for UCLA during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and he has been coaching track for many years.

As an athlete, Smith is most known for winning the 400-meter dash at the 1971 Pan American Games. However, his biggest imprint on track has been as a coach.

Under his tutelage, Green won gold medals at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, competing in the 100-meter and 400-meter relays. 

In an article from eurweb.com, Jeter exudes praise on her trainer, saying, "Mr. Smith told me to believe in myself. I feel the love and energy flowing from him when I compete so that when that gun goes off (at the starting line) there’s someone in the stands other than my family who truly believes in me."

9. She Has an Amazing Training Regimen

Being the fastest woman in the world takes a tremendous amount of hard work and practice, and Jeter does both of those things.

She practices four days a week, is in the weight room for 1.5 hours and also does track work for 2.5 hours. During her training she does sprints, long jogs and also distance work to keep in shape for her 30 competitions a year.

Jeter also has a separate trainer to keep her in shape as well as three doctors who keep her body healthy.

10. Jeter Has a Tremendous Amount of World Championship Medals

To say Carmelita Jeter has won a bunch of medals is an understatement; her trophy room in her house is filled with medals, and the list of her accolades is simply astounding.

In 2011, she won gold in the USA and International Outdoor 100-meter dashes as well as the USA 60-meter dash (which she also won in 2010).

Also in 2011, Jeter won the silver medal in the 200-meter dash, with a time of 22.37 seconds. She was a two-time World Outdoor bronze medalist in the 100 in 2009 and 2007 as well.

Throughout her fantastic career, Jeter has proven to be a stellar athlete, and she has just gotten better with age. One thing for sure is, in the London Olympics, she will be the overwhelming favorite to win gold.

Carmelita "The Jet" Jeter is one of the elite athletes in the world, and with the countdown on to the 2012 Olympic Games, all eyes will be on the track when she is in the starting blocks.