Muna Lee (born October 30, 1981
in
Little Rock, Arkansas
(The Little Rock, The "Little Rock")
, government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager
, leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_ ...
) is an American
sprinter.
Lee ran track collegiately at
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
. Lee was a seven-time NCAA champion, 12-time SEC champion and 20-time All-American with the Lady Tigers from 2001-04.
Lee made her Olympics debut for the United States immediately following an exceptional senior season in 2004. In
Athens, Greece
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, Lee qualified for her first career final in international competition as she took seventh place overall in the 200-meter dash. She had an impressive performance at the 2004 Olympic Trials, moving up in the final stretch while running in lane 1 to place second and win a spot on the Olympic Team. She went on to place 7th at the Olympic Games.
Lee won a gold medal as part of the women's 4 x 100m relay team at the
2005 World Championships in Athletics. Lee went on to place 7th at the
2005 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres
At the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
she competed at the
100 metres sprint. In her first round heat she placed first in front of
Anita Pistone and
Guzel Khubbieva
Guzel Khubbieva (born 2 May 1976) is an Uzbekistani sprinter who specializes in the 100 and 200 metres. in a time of 11.44 to advance to the second round. There she improved her time to 11.08 and to finish second after
Sherone Simpson
Sherone Simpson (born 12 August 1984) is a Jamaican track and field sprint athlete. to qualify for the semifinals. With 11.06 she placed second behind
Shelly-Ann Fraser
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce OD, OJ (née Fraser; born December 27, 1986) is a Jamaican track and field sprinter competing in the 60 metres, 100 m and 200 m. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time.
On ...
to qualify for the final, in which she placed in fifth position with a time of 11.07 seconds.
She took second place at the US Championships (just one thousandth of a second behind in-form
Carmelita Jeter
Carmelita Jeter ( , born November 24, 1979) is a retired American sprinter, who competed in the 60 metres, 100 m and 200 m. For over a decade, between 2009 and 2021, Jeter held the title as "Fastest woman alive" after running a 100 m personal be ...
) and qualified for the
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg ...
.
A week before the World Championships, Lee was part of a United States
4 x 100 m relay team that ran the fastest women's sprint relay in twelve years.
Lauryn Williams
Lauryn Williams (born September 11, 1983) is an American sprinter and bobsledder. She was the gold medalist in the 100 meter dash at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics, 2007 World Champ ...
,
Allyson Felix, Lee and Jeter finished with a time of 41.58 seconds, bringing them to eighth on the all-time list. Lee finished 5th in the Semifinals but failed to advance in the
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres. Lee finished 4th in the final in
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 200 metres.
Lee now works as an assistant coach at
Hendrix College
Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Approximately 1,000 students are enrolled, mostly undergraduates. While affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the college offers a secular curriculum and has a stude ...
.
Personal bests
*
100 metres - 10.85 (2008) (USA Track and Field Championships) Position = 1st
*
100 metres - wind aided 10.78 (2009) (USA Track and Field Championships) Position = 2nd
*
200 metres
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...
- 22.01 (2008) (Olympic Finals)Position = 4th
*
200 metres
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...
- wind aided 21.91 (2009) (Guadeloupe) Position = 1st
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Muna
1981 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Little Rock, Arkansas
Track and field athletes from Arkansas
American female sprinters
Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Olympic track and field athletes of the United States
African-American female track and field athletes
World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States
World Athletics Championships medalists
LSU Lady Tigers track and field athletes
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
World Athletics Championships winners
Olympic female sprinters
21st-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American women
20th-century African-American people
20th-century African-American women