Tahesia Harrigan-Scott

Tahesia Gaynell Harrigan-Scott (born 15 February 1982) is a sprinter from the British Virgin Islands.[1] She was the first woman to represent the British Virgin Islands at the Olympics.[2]

Tahesia Harrigan

Tahesia Harrigan-Scott at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Tahesia Gaynell Harrigan-Scott
Born	15 February 1982 Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands
Height	1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight	54 kg (119 lb)
Sport
Country	British Virgin Islands
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Sprint
Medal record Women's Athletics Representing the  British Virgin Islands World Indoor Championships 2008 Valencia 60 metres Central American and Caribbean Games 2006 Cartagena de Indias 100 metres 2010 Mayagüez 100 metres
Updated on 28 December 2014.

Career

Harrigan was born in the Virgin Islands to Doris Harrigan. Harrigan's illustrious track and field career began in Tallahassee, Florida. As a 14-year-old 9th grader, she carried Florida A&M University's Developmental and Research High School female track team to its first Class 1-A Florida High School Athletic Association state track and field championship win in over ten years by sweeping the 100 metres, 200 metres, the long jump and triple jump.

Some other highlights of her prep career include 13 FHSAA State Championship Track and Field victories as an individual or part of a relay team in high school ( 8 of those victories being going undefeated all four years in the 100 and 200 metres, 3 in the long jump, 2 in the triple jump,).

After graduating from high school as salutatorian in the spring of 2000, she was approached by several reputable Florida collegiate track and field programs, but chose the University of Minnesota for its medical program. She red shirted her first year due to a fractured tibia, Harrigan exploded on to the university's conference scene setting school and conference records in the women's 60 m, 100 m, 200 m, and the long jump in 2002.[3] She went on that year to compete as a representative of her country (BVI) in the Central American and Caribbean Games where she had a very good first showing.

In 2004, Harrigan transferred to the University of Alabama where she honed her athletic prowess even further becoming a SEC powerhouse and an NCAA finalist.[4] She earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2005 and a Masters in Speech Pathology in 2007 from Alabama. She was an All American at the University of Alabama and the University of Minnesota. She won the 100 metres race at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games, and finished fifth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The OECS sports desk named her most outstanding female athlete in 2006 for her top performances in international meets.

Harrigan began her career as a professional sprinter in the spring of 2007. She has competed in several professional track meets in the US and abroad. Of the many sprint-oriented events she competes in, the crown jewel would have to be her current personal record in the 100 metres of 11.13 seconds.

At the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, Harrigan finished third in the final of the Women's 60m posting a new BVI national record of 7.09 sec. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing she competed at the 100 metres sprint. In her first round heat she placed third behind Christine Arron and Lauryn Williams in a time of 11.46 to advance to the second round. There she failed to qualify for the semi-finals as her time of 11.36 was only the fifth time of her heat, causing elimination.[1]

Anti-doping rule violation

Harrigan-Scott tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine in 2011, and was subsequently handed a 6-month ban from sports.[5]

Personal bests

Event	Result	Venue	Date
Outdoor
100 m	11.12 s (wind: +1.6 m/s)	Miramar, Florida	11 June 2011
200 m	22.98 s (wind: +0.9 m/s)	Donnas	15 July 2007
400 m	54.06 s	Coral Gables, Florida	29 March 2014
Long jump	6.06 m (wind: +1.8 m/s)	Walnut, California	16 April 2005
Indoor
60 m	7.09 s	Valencia	7 March 2008
200 m	24.10 s	State College, Pennsylvania	24 February 2002
400 m	57.88 s	Minneapolis, Minnesota	20 January 2001
Long jump	6.17 m	Gainesville, Florida	24 February 2006
Triple jump	11.93 m	Clemson, South Carolina	21 January 2006

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing the  British Virgin Islands
1998	Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (U17)	Georgetown, Cayman Islands	5th	100 m	12.22 w (wind: +2.4 m/s)
			5th	200 m	25.35 (wind: 0.0 m/s)
1999	Pan American Junior Championships	Tampa, United States	6th	100 m	11.96 (wind: 0.0 m/s)
			5th (h)	200 m	25.08 (wind: -0.9 m/s)
			8th	Long jump	5.54 m (wind: NWI)
2002	Commonwealth Games	Manchester, United Kingdom	15th (sf)	100m	11.62 (wind: +0.3 m/s)
2005	Central American and Caribbean Championships	Nassau, Bahamas	2nd	100 m	11.29 (wind: +1.1 m/s)
	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	19th (qf)	100 m	11.47 (wind: -0.8 m/s)
2006	Commonwealth Games	Melbourne, Australia	5th	100 m	11.48 (wind: +0.2 m/s)
	Central American and Caribbean Games	Cartagena, Colombia	1st	100 m	11.15 w (wind: +0.5 m/s)
2007	Pan American Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	4th	100 m	11.34 (wind: +0.8 m/s)
	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	6th (qf)	100 m	11.33 (wind: -0.2 m/s)
			6th (qf)	200 m	23.52 (wind: +0.7 m/s)
2008	World Indoor Championships	Valencia, Spain	3rd	60 m	7.09
	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	16th (qf)	100 m	11.36 (wind: +0.4 m/s)
2009	Central American and Caribbean Championships	La Habana, Cuba	1st	100 m	11.21 (wind: +0.8 m/s)
	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	7th (sf)	100 m	11.34 (wind: -0.1 m/s)
2010	World Indoor Championships	Doha, Qatar	6th	60 m	7.17
	Central American and Caribbean Games	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico	1st	100 m	11.19 (wind: 0.0 m/s)
	Commonwealth Games	Delhi, India	5th	100 m	11.56 (wind: +0.2 m/s)
2012	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	7th (h)	100 m	11.59 (wind: +0.4 m/s)
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	31st (h)	100 m	11.61 (wind: -0.4 m/s)
2014	World Indoor Championships	Sopot, Poland	8th (sf)	60 m	7.17
	Central American and Caribbean Games	Xalapa, México	8th	100m	11.93 A (wind: +1.5 m/s)
2015	NACAC Championships	San José, Costa Rica	4th	100m	11.28 (wind: -0.1 m/s)
	World Championships	Beijing, China	33rd (h)	100 m	11.47
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, United States	15th (sf)	60 m	7.23
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	37th (h)	100 m	11.54
2017	IAAF World Relays	Nassau, Bahamas	10th (h)	4 × 100 m relay	44.78
			7th	4 × 200 m relay	1:35.35
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	39th (h)	60 m	7.50
	Commonwealth Games	Gold Coast, Australia	13th (sf)	100 m	11.63
	Central American and Caribbean Games	Barranquilla, Colombia	7th	100 m	11.69
	NACAC Championships	Toronto, Canada	7th	100 m	11.61

References

1. Athlete biography: Tahesia Harrigan, beijing2008.cn, Retrieved 27 August 2008.
2. "First female competitors at the Olympics by country". Olympedia. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
3. WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD TEAM TO HOST FINAL INDOOR HOME MEET, Minnesota Golden Gophers, retrieved 29 December 2014
4. Former Alabama Track Star Tahesia Harrigan Finished fourth at the Pan-Am Games, Alabama Crimson Tide, retrieved 29 December 2014
5. UPDATE: Harrigan-Scott apologises for being suspended – says illegal substance was used unintentionally, Virgin Islands News Online, 9 November 2011

External links

• Tahesia Harrigan-Scott at World Athletics
• Tahesia Harrigan-Scott at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
• Tilastopaja biography