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Perdita Felicien

Perdita Felicien is a Canadian retired hurdler best known for winning the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the 2003 World Championships and the 60 metres hurdles at the 2004 World Indoor Championships.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Perdita Felicien is a retired hurdler from Canada, best known for winning the women's 100 metres hurdles at the 2003 World Championships and the 60 metres hurdles at the 2004 World Indoor Championships. She represented Canada at two Olympic Games and later became a broadcaster, author, and television host.

Early life and education

Felicien was born in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, and later competed for the University of Illinois, where she won NCAA hurdles titles and earned multiple All-America honours.

Athletic career

She became one of Canada's most successful hurdlers, highlighted by world championship gold in 2003 and world indoor gold in 2004, along with two Olympic appearances. She also won multiple silver medals at major international meets, including the 2007 World Championships and the 2010 World Indoor Championships, and was a 10-time Canadian national champion.

Records and honours

Felicien set a Canadian record of 12.46 seconds in the 100 metres hurdles in 2004, and she has been inducted into hall of fame organizations including Athletics Canada and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

Post-retirement career

After retiring from elite competition in 2013, Felicien moved into broadcasting, hosting, public speaking, and writing, including a memoir and television work.

Key facts

  • Won gold in the women's 100 metres hurdles at the 2003 World Championships and the 60 metres hurdles at the 2004 World Indoor Championships.
  • Represented Canada at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.
  • Set the Canadian record in the 100 metres hurdles with a time of 12.46 seconds in 2004.
  • Won multiple silver medals at major international meets, including the 2007 World Championships and the 2010 World Indoor Championships.
  • After retiring, became a broadcaster, author, television host, and public speaker.
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Canadian context

Felicien is a major Canadian track-and-field figure: she was a world champion for Canada, set a long-standing national record, and became the first Canadian woman to win a world championship gold medal in track and field.[3][8][12][13]

Frequently asked questions

What is Perdita Felicien best known for?
She is best known for winning the 100 metres hurdles at the 2003 World Championships and the 60 metres hurdles at the 2004 World Indoor Championships.
Did Perdita Felicien compete in the Olympics?
Yes. She competed for Canada at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games in the 100 metres hurdles.
What is Perdita Felicien's Canadian record?
Her 12.46-second performance in the 100 metres hurdles, set in 2004, remains the Canadian record.
Where is Perdita Felicien from?
She was born in Oshawa, Ontario, and is associated with Pickering and Toronto in Ontario sources.
What did Perdita Felicien do after retiring?
She became a sports broadcaster, television host, author, and public speaker.

References

  1. Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perdita_Felicien
    Supports: Birth date, Canadian retired hurdler, major titles, silver medals, and Canadian 100 m hurdles record.
  2. World Athleticshttps://worldathletics.org/athletes/canada/perdita-felicien-14268017
    Supports: Athlete profile and birth date.
  3. Ontario Sport Hall of Famehttps://ontariosportshalloffame.com/inductees/sports-specialties/track-and-field/perdita-felicien/
    Supports: Canadian record, major achievements, and hall of fame recognition.
  4. Canadian Museum of Historyhttps://www.historymuseum.ca/shaping-canada/perdita-felicien/
    Supports: Her significance in Canadian sport and world championship gold.
  5. University of Illinois Athleticshttps://fightingillini.com/honors/hall-of-fame/perdita-felicien/24
    Supports: NCAA titles, All-America honours, Olympic appearances, and Canadian championship record.
  6. Olympic.cahttps://olympic.ca/team-canada/perdita-felicien/
    Supports: Birthplace, Olympic appearances, national titles, and world championship gold.
  7. CBChttps://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/bio/perdita-felicien
    Supports: Post-retirement broadcasting career, authorship, and retirement year.