View source for Perdita Felicien

{{short description|Canadian hurdler}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name     = Perdita Felicien
|image          = Perdita Felicien TK cropped.jpg
|nationality    = [[Canadians|Canadian]]
| sport         = [[100 metres hurdles|100&nbsp;m hurdles]]
|club           =
|birth_date      = {{birth date and age|df=y|1980|08|29}}
|birth_place     = [[Oshawa, Ontario|Oshawa]], [[Ontario]]
|height         = {{height|ft=5|in=5}}
|weight         = {{convert|140|lb|kg}}
|turnedpro      = 2003
|retired        = October 24, 2013<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/article/canadian-hurdler-perdita-felicien-announces-retirement/|title=Canadian hurdler Perdita Felicien announces retirement
|publisher=ctvnews.ca|access-date=2013-10-25|date=2013-10-24}}</ref>
|pb             = '''100&nbsp;m hurdles''': 12.46 '''[[Canadian records in track and field|NR]]''', [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]], 2004
|olympics       = 
|worlds         = 
|highestranking = 
|coaching       = 
|updated        = July 2012
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold |[[2003 World Championships in Athletics|2003 Paris]]|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres hurdles|100 m hurdles]]}}
{{MedalSilver |[[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 Osaka]]|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres hurdles|100 m hurdles]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Indoor Championships}}
{{MedalGold |[[2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2004 Budapest]]|[[2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 60 metres hurdles|60 m hurdles]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2010 Doha]] |[[2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 60 metres hurdles|60 m hurdles]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF Continental Cup|Continental Cup]]}}.
{{MedalBronze|[[2010 IAAF Continental Cup|2010 Split]]|100 m hurdles}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2003 Pan American Games|2003 Santo Domingo]] | [[Athletics at the 2003 Pan American Games|100 m hurdles]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2007 Pan American Games|2007 Rio de Janeiro]] | [[Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games|100 m hurdles]]}}
}}
'''Perdita Felicien''' (born August 29, 1980) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] retired [[hurdling|hurdler]]. Felicien is the [[2003 World Championships in Athletics|2003 World champion]] in the 100 metres hurdles and [[2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2004 World indoor champion]] in the 60 metres hurdles. She also won silver medals at the [[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 World Championships]], the [[2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2010 World Indoor Championships]], and twice at the [[Pan American Games]]. Her best time for the 100 metres hurdles of 12.46 secs from 2004 still stands as the [[Canadian records in track and field|Canadian record]].

==Early life==
Born in [[Oshawa|Oshawa, Ontario]], Felicien carries her mother's maiden name, whose origins are in the [[Caribbean]] island nation of [[Saint Lucia]]. Her mother named her "Perdita" after she heard the name on the TV game show, ''[[The Price Is Right|The Price is Right]].''

Felicien moved to [[Pickering, Ontario]], where, as a student, she began competing in [[track and field]] events at her school. She was motivated to join the school's track and field team after receiving an Award of Excellence in the [[Canada Fitness Award Program]] in grade 3.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://activeforlife.com/perdita-felicien-olympic-track-and-field-100m-hurdles/|title=Perdita Felicien: Olympic Track and Field, 100m Hurdles|last=Grove|first=Jim|publisher=Active for Life|date=16 June 2012|access-date=26 October 2013|archive-date=29 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194845/http://activeforlife.com/perdita-felicien-olympic-track-and-field-100m-hurdles/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.insidehalton.com/sports-story/2908677-felicien-tells-reding-students-of-right-to-play-s-impact-overseas/|title=Felicien tells Reding students of Right to Play's impact overseas|newspaper=Milton Canadian Champion|publisher=Metroland |date=20 February 2013}}</ref> At first, she competed in the 100 m dash, inspired by Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin of Canada, later adding the 200 m dash and long jump. Felicien dedicated herself to hurdling at [[Pine Ridge Secondary School]] and won the [[Ontario]] high-school hurdling championship in 1998. That year she added the first of two consecutive Canadian junior championships. Her performance at a scholastic meet in [[Ohio]] brought offers of athletic scholarships from a number of U.S. universities, from which she chose the [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]], where she enrolled in the study of [[kinesiology]].

==Career==
Coached by Gary Winckler, in her first year competing at the university level, Felicien earned All-American honors and in the 100 m hurdles set the record for the fastest time by a freshman in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] history for the event. The following year she was ranked No. 1 in the 100&nbsp;m hurdles by the NCAA for the entire outdoor season, and was the first Illinois athlete ever to win a national championship during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Her performance earned her the first of three consecutive University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year awards, and she was voted the U.S. Track Coaches Association National Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year.

An undefeated Felicien won her second consecutive 100&nbsp;m hurdles national title in 2003. She became the first University of Illinois female athlete to be named the [[Big Ten Conference]] "Athlete of the Year", and also earned NCAA Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors. Felicien blossomed into a major force on the international hurdling scene, topping off her season by winning the women's 100&nbsp;m Hurdles Final at the [[2003 World Championships in Athletics]] in [[Paris]], [[France]]. With that win, Felicien became Canada's first ever female world gold medallist and the first female in [[Illinois]] track & field history to win a gold medal in an individual event at the World Championships. She was named Canada's female athlete of the year – the first track athlete to capture that honor in 25 years.

A much-anticipated showdown with hurdling great [[Gail Devers]] took place in March 2004. Felicien set a new record in defeating the three-time hurdles world champion in the 60&nbsp;m hurdle final at the [[2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships]] in [[Budapest, Hungary]]. She chalked up six straight wins leading up to the [[2004 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] in [[Athens, Greece]], where she was expected to win gold in the 100&nbsp;m hurdles on August 24, especially after Devers pulled out with an injury. Unexpectedly, in the event final, Felicien failed to clear the first hurdle and fell into the adjacent lane, knocking down the Russian competitor, [[Irina Shevchenko]], and taking her out of the race and a chance at an Olympic medal, much to the obvious dismay of Shevchenko.

Felicien returned to the track and had some success, winning medals at the world championships alongside her teammate [[Priscilla Lopes-Schliep]]. In 2007, she won a silver medal at the world championships in the 100 metre hurdles.

Felicien did not compete in the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in [[Beijing]], [[China]] due to a foot injury. In August 2008, she was a guest commentator for [[CBC Television]]'s 2008 Olympics coverage of hurdles.<ref>CBC Television, ''Olympic Morning'', 19 Aug 2008</ref>

During the summer of 2011, Felicien relocated to the University of Calgary in Alberta to train under the tutelage of former national team head coach, Les Gramantik, and her old coach, Gary Winckler. She also partnered with [[Jessica Zelinka]], ranked the sixth-best heptathlete in the world. In June 2012, Felicien failed to qualify for the Canadian Olympic team for the [[2012 London Olympics]]. She had finished third in the 2012 Canadian Olympic trials for track and field, in the 100 m hurdles event, under protest. However, she false started, and was disqualified.<ref name=TorStar-2012-06-30>{{cite news |url= https://www.thestar.com/sports/london2012/athletics/article/1219955--london-2012-zelinka-wins-felicien-and-lopes-schliep-fail-to-qualify-in-women-s-hurdles-at-olympic-trials |title= London 2012: Zelinka wins, Felicien and Lopes-Schliep fail to qualify at Olympic trials |author= Dave Feschuk |publisher= Toronto Star |date= 30 June 2012 |access-date= 1 July 2012 }}</ref>

Felicien retired from competition in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/canadian-olympic-hurdler-perdita-felicien-calls-it-quits-on-tumultuous-career |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131025021002/http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013/10/24/canadian-olympic-hurdler-perdita-felicien-calls-it-quits-on-tumultuous-career/ |title=Canadian Olympic hurdler Perdita Felicien calls it quits on erratic career |archive-date=2013-10-25 |url-status=live |access-date=2013-10-29 }}</ref> She went back to school to study journalism, and was a writer/reporter with ''[[CHCH-DT|CHCH News]]'' in [[Hamilton, Ontario]]. She was part of the broadcasting team for the Toronto 2015 PanAm Games coverage. In 2018, Felicien joined the CBC TV network broadcasting the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in South Korea and later the Tokyo Olympics (2021).

Since 2020, Felicien has been the host of ''[[All-Round Champion]]'', a TV series produced by Marblemedia for [[TVOntario|TV Ontario]] and [[BYU TV]].

==Charity==
Felicien is a supporter of [[Count Me In (movement)|Count Me In]], the largest youth-run organization in Canada. She spoke at the 2013 Count Me In Conference in Toronto.

She is also an active ambassador for Right To Play.

==Track & field accomplishments==
2011
* Harry Jerome International Track Classic Winner the 100 metre hurdles in 12:79 secs.
*Canadian National Champion (10th Title)

2010
*World Indoor Silver Medalist
*60 m hurdles 7.86
*Drake Relays Hall of Fame Inductee
*Continental Cup Bronze Medalist

2009
*Canadian National Champion
*World Championship Finalist

2008
*Injured

2007
* [[2007 IAAF World Championships]] Silver Medalist 100 m hurdles - 12.49
*Pan Am Games Silver Medalist
*Canadian Track and Field Athlete of the Year
*2007 Ontario Female Athlete of the Year

2005
*Canadian National Champion
*World Championship Semi-Finalist

2004
* [[2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Champion]] in the 60&nbsp;m hurdles
*Olympic Finalist
*Canadian National Champion
*City of Pickering Civic Award
*Canadian Track and Field Athlete of the Year

2003
* IAAF World Championships World Champion in the 100&nbsp;m hurdles
* [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]] Champion in the 60&nbsp;m and 100&nbsp;m hurdles
* Drake Relays Most Outstanding Athlete
*Canadian Female Athlete of the Year
*Canadian Track and Field Athlete of the Year
*Canadian National Champion
*Pan Am Games Silver Medalist
*University of Illinois Athlete of the Year
*Big Ten Conference Athlete of the Year

2002
*[[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Champion in the 100&nbsp;m hurdles
* University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year
* Drake Relays Most Outstanding Athlete
* NCAA Record holder in the 60&nbsp;m hurdles, 7.90 seconds
* NCAA Champion in the 60&nbsp;m hurdles
* Big Ten Champion in the 60&nbsp;m hurdles
* All-American in the 60&nbsp;m hurdles
*Canadian National Champion
*University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year

2001
* All-American in the 100&nbsp;m hurdles
* All-American in the 60&nbsp;m hurdles
* USTCA National Female Athlete of the Year
* Big Ten Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year
* University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year
* Big Ten Indoor Freshman of the Year
* World Track and Field Championship Semifinalist
*Francophone Games Champion
*University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year

2000
*Olympian
* Big Ten Outdoor Freshman of the Year
* All-American in the 100&nbsp;m hurdles
*Canadian National Champion

1999
*Canadian Junior Champion 100 m h

1998
*Canadian Junior Champion 100 m h
*OFSAA 100 m h Record Holder - 13.41
*1998 OFSAA Champion 100 m h
*1998 OFSAA Silver 100 m
*1998 OFSAA Champion 200 m - 24.67

1997
OFSAA Silver Medalist 100 m

==References==
{{Reflist}}<!--added above categories/infobox footers by script-assisted edit-->

*{{World Athletics||name=Perdita Felicien}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091007000113/http://sports.rightpundits.com/?p=3130 Perdita Felicien Is a Canadian Hurdler By Sarah Luoma]
*[http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/pan-felicien.html cbc]

{{Footer World Champions 100 m hurdles Women}}
{{Footer World Indoor Champions 60m Hurdles Women}}
{{Bobbie Rosenfeld Award}}
{{Big Ten Athlete of the Year}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Felicien, Perdita}}
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Black Canadian women track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Canadian women hurdlers]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Saint Lucian descent]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for Canada]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Pickering, Ontario]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Oshawa]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Ontario]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Ontario]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Big Ten Athlete of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Illinois Fighting Illini women's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Canadian Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian sportswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen]]