Marlena Wesh

Marlena Hilari Wesh (born February 16, 1991) is a Haitian-American sprinter competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics for Haiti in the women's 200-meter and 400-meter sprints.[1]

Marlena Wesh
Personal information
Full nameMarlena Hilari Wesh
Born (1991-02-16) February 16, 1991
Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight140 lb (63.50 kg)
Sport
Country Haiti and United States of America
SportRunning
Event(s)200 m, 400 m
Updated on 29 December 2014.

Biography

She was born and raised in Virginia,[1] but is eligible to compete for Haiti because both her parents were born and raised there. She has never been to Haiti though she is a citizen there also.[2][3][4] Four of the five athletes representing Haiti at the 2012 Olympics are not from Haiti. Wesh says, "I still feel Haitian even if I wasn't born there".[5]

After graduating from Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 2009, she enrolled at Oklahoma, where she was given a full scholarship, but later she transferred and she enrolled at Clemson University in South Carolina and should graduate in 2013. She is majoring in psychology.[1][4] She won the 400-meter sprint for Clemson in April 2012 at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Outdoor championships with a time of 51.43 seconds, which was a meet record and her 4th consecutive 400-meter ACC championship.[4] It is a current American college record and 17th best in the world.[2] This time made her eligible to compete in the Olympics for both Haiti and America. She is the only one of her parents' five children that considers themselves Haitian-American.[3] Haitian Olympic hurdler Nadine Faustin-Parker encouraged her to run for Haiti. She earned All-American designation in March 2012 in a Division I championship at Boise State University in Idaho.[6] In early July 2012, just prior to the London Olympics, Wesh ran her personal best in the 400-meters with a time of 51.23, just 0.03 seconds behind the first-place finisher.[7] On Friday, August 3, she achieved her goal of making it to the 400-meter semi-finals in the 2012 London Olympics, having come in third in her heat.[3][8] On Saturday, August 4, she failed to make it to the finals, placing 8th in her heat and 19th overall, with a time of 52:49.[9]

Wesh's brother Darrell could also have run for Haiti in the 2012 Olympics but chose to try to make the American team. He graduated from Virginia Tech.[3] Eventually, he also started competing for Haiti. He competed in the 2016 Olympics for Haiti.[10]

Personal bests
EventResultVenueDate
Outdoor
100 m11.70 s (wind: +0.7 m/s) Coral Gables, Florida19 Mar 2011
200 m23.06 s (wind: -0.3 m/s) Charlottesville, Virginia21 Apr 2012
400 m51.23 s A Irapuato7 Jul 2012
400 m hurdles57.49 s Austin, Texas7 Apr 2011

Achievements
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Haiti
2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 13th (h) 200 m 24.08 (wind: -0.1 m/s)
8th 400 m 54.49
2012 NACAC Under-23 Championships Irapuato, México 2nd 400 m 51.23 A
Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 8th (sf) 400 m 52.49
2014 Central American and Caribbean Games Xalapa, México 8th (h) 100m 12.80 A (wind: -0.4 m/s)
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References
  1. "Marlena Wesh". London 2012 Olympics. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  2. Rubama, Larry (May 21, 2012). "Ex-Landstown sprinter Wesh going to Olympics". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  3. Rubama, Larry (July 15, 2012). "Olympics Former Landstown track star runs for Haiti". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  4. "Clemson Track & Field" (PDF). CBS Sports. June 9, 2012. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  5. Daniel, Trenton (July 22, 2012). "Haiti's Olympic team in London isn't very Haitian". WALB News. Associated Press. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  6. Rubama, Larry (March 12, 2012). "Local track athletes do well at national meets". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  7. Rubama, Larry (July 9, 2012). "Local runners do well at NACAC track meet". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  8. "Haiti's Marlena Wesh Advances to Semi-Finals in Olympic 400m Competition". Defend Haiti. August 3, 2012. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  9. Rubama, Larry (August 4, 2012). "Wesh doesn't advance to finals of Olympic 400 meters". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  10. http://pilotonline.com/sports/other/olympics/landstown-s-track-star-darrell-wesh-going-to-olympics-as/article_5eaef621-396e-5286-832b-203bb06a3304.html
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