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Talitha Diggs

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Talitha Diggs
Diggs at the 2024 World Indoor Championships
Personal information
Birth nameTalitha LaNae Clark Diggs
Born (2002-08-22) August 22, 2002 (age 22)
New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight135 lb (61 kg)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportTrack and field
Event400 meters
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Eugene 4×400 m relay
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Glasgow 4×400 m relay

Talitha LaNae Clark Diggs (born August 22, 2002)

Talitha is an American track and field athlete, world champion, and professional Adidas athlete who has established herself as one of the premier 400-meter runners of her generation. A multi-time NCAA champion while at the University of Florida, Talitha captured the 2022 NCAA Outdoor and Indoor 400m titles and is the American indoor record holder in the 400m. She is also a USA Champion, a World Champion, a multi-time SEC Champion, and a two-time NCAA Academic Athlete of the Year, solidifying her legacy as one of the most dynamic and well-rounded athletes in collegiate track and field history.

Talitha’s success reflects her storied lineage as the daughter of four-time Olympian competes as Joetta Clark and the granddaughter of the late Dr. Joe L. Clark, the renowned educator who inspired the movie Lean on Me. Her family legacy includes her aunts competed as Hazel Clark, a three-time Olympian, and Jearl Miles-Clark, a five-time Olympian, as well as her uncle JJ Clark, a celebrated coach who led Team USA as head coach at the 2004 Olympic Games.

While at the University of Florida, Talitha’s extraordinary talent and dedication helped the Gators secure multiple team championships. Her collegiate career was marked by dominance in both individual events and relays, earning her numerous All-American honors and making her a key figure in the highly competitive SEC, where she claimed multiple titles across various events. Talitha’s academic excellence matched her athletic success, as she was honored multiple times as SEC Academic Athlete of the Year and NCAA Academic Athlete of the Year.

In December 2024, Talitha graduated summa cum laude with dual degrees in International Studies and Political Science, a minor in Asian Studies, and fluency in Spanish and Mandarin. An avid reader and passionate learner, she enjoys exploring topics that broaden her global perspective.

Beyond the track and classroom, Talitha serves as an ambassador for various brands, using her platform to inspire young people to pursue their dreams in sports and academics. With aspirations to make a significant impact in the sports industry on a national and global scale, Talitha continues to honor her family’s legacy while blazing her own trail of excellence.

Career

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Diggs won the 400 metres race at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to qualify for the 2022 World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, Oregon.[1] Prior to this, she won the 2022 NCAA Outdoor championship and NCAA indoor championship representing the University of Florida. She was the second woman in NCAA history to win the USA championships, and NCAA outdoor and indoor championships in the same season. She was the fifth- fastest collegiate 400m runner in history at the time having run 49.99 to win the NCAA Outdoor Championships.[2]

On February 25 at the SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Diggs broke the North American and NCAA indoor 400 m records with a time of 50.15 seconds, putting her joint eighth on the respective world all-time list. Previous NCAA record of 50.33 s was set just 90 minutes earlier by Rhasidat Adeleke.[3]

Competing at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Eugene, Oregon, she finished third in the final of the 400m.[4] She was selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023.[5]

Selected for the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, she qualified for the final of the women's 400 meters where she finished in fifth place.[6] She was part of the 4x400m relay team which won the silver medal in Glasgow.[7]

She was runner-up over 400 metres at the 2024 Diamond League Shanghai on 27 April 2024.[8]

Personal life

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Her mother Joetta Clark Diggs also represented her country at athletics in major championships between 1988 and 2002, including four Olympic Games.[9] She is the niece of both Hazel Clark and two-time Olympic 4 × 400 m champion and American 800 metres record holder Jearl Miles Clark.[10]

Achievements

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National and NCAA titles

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Personal bests

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References

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  1. ^ "Florida's Champion Allison, Talitha Diggs advance to 400m finals at 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships | World-Track and Field". world-track.org. June 25, 2022.
  2. ^ Wilson, Brad (June 11, 2022). "Saucon Valley's Talitha Diggs wins national track championship". lehighvalleylive.
  3. ^ "Weekend Recap: All-Time Marks Canvas Conference Championships Weekend". USTFCCCA. February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  4. ^ "Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone coasts to 400 win at US track and field championships in her newest event". The Hamilton Spectator. July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  5. ^ Gault, Jonathan (August 7, 2023). "USATF Announces 2023 World Championship Roster". letsrun.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  6. ^ "Women's 400m Results - World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024". Watch Athletics. March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "Women's 4x400m Results - World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024". Watch Athletics. March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  8. ^ "ATHLETES FLYING AT THE SHANGHAI/SUZHOU WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE 2024". Shanghai.Diamondleague. April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Akwei, Abi (March 27, 2022). "Who is Talitha Diggs? Everything To Know o".
  10. ^ "The Olympics run in Talitha Diggs' family, but she's charting her own path: 'I want to achieve great things, too'". olympics.com.
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