2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres hurdles
The women's 100 metres hurdles at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on September 2 and 3.
Prior to the competition, Australian Sally Pearson led the season's rankings with a time of 12.48 seconds and was undefeated on the Diamond League circuit. The United States team provided the next fastest athletes that year in the form of Kellie Wells, Danielle Carruthers and the 2008 Olympic champion Dawn Harper. The defending champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica was in poor form, while the other 2009 medalists were absent. Tiffany Porter, Lisa Urech and Perdita Felicien were the only other top-ten-ranked athletes to compete.
Sally Pearson was the story here, winning her semi [|final] in 12.36, equal to the number 5 performer in history. The time improved on her own Oceanian area record and Australian national record. Kellie Wells looked strong by opening up a large lead in her semi final, but clipped the ninth hurdle and struggled to maintain her balance as she finished in second.
In the final, it was Pearson in the lead from the gun. Running smoothly, she was not challenged, running 12.28, to make her the number 4 performer in history. Nobody had run as fast in nearly two decades. The time is a new Championship record and again improved her Oceanian area record and Australian national record. Behind her, Danielle Carruthers outleaned Dawn Harper for the silver medal, both athletes finishing in the same time. Wells hit the seventh hurdle and crashed to the ground, not finishing, joining the tradition of American favorites crashing on hurdles in major championships.
Medalists
Records
Prior to the competition, the records were as follows:| World record | 12.21 | Stara Zagora, Bulgaria | 20 August 1988 | |
| Championship record | 12.34 | Rome, Italy | 4 September 1987 | |
| World Leading | 12.48 | Birmingham, Great Britain | 10 July 2011 | |
| African Record | 12.44 | Monaco | 8 August 1998 | |
| African Record | 12.44 | Brussels, Belgium | 28 August 1998 | |
| African Record | 12.44 | Seville, Spain | 28 August 1999 | |
| Asian Record | 12.44 | Luzern, Switzerland | 27 June 1995 | |
| North, Central American and Caribbean record | 12.33 | Sacramento, CA, United States | 23 July 2000 | |
| South American record | 12.71 | Manaus, Brazil | 19 May 2001 | |
| European Record | 12.21 | Stara Zagora, Bulgaria | 20 August 1988 | |
| Oceanian record | 12.48 | Birmingham, Great Britain | 10 July 2011 |
Qualification standards
Schedule
Results
Heats
Qualification: First 4 in each heat and the next 4 fastest advance to the [|semifinals].Wind:
Heat 1: +1.0 m/s, Heat 2: -0.6 m/s, Heat 3: -1.6 m/s, Heat 4: 0.0 m/s, Heat 5: +1.3 m/s
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Sally Pearson | 12.53 | Q | |
| 2 | 1 | Kellie Wells | 12.73 | Q | |
| 3 | 4 | Danielle Carruthers | 12.79 | Q | |
| 4 | 1 | Vonette Dixon | 12.82 | Q | |
| 5 | 3 | Tiffany Porter | 12.84 | Q | |
| 5 | 4 | Phylicia George | 12.84 | Q | |
| 7 | 4 | Lucie Škrobáková | 12.89 | Q, SB | |
| 8 | 1 | Nikkita Holder | 12.90 | Q, PB | |
| 8 | 5 | Dawn Harper | 12.90 | Q | |
| 10 | 5 | Perdita Felicien | 12.95 | Q | |
| 11 | 1 | Natalya Ivoninskaya | 12.96 | Q | |
| 11 | 4 | Brigitte Foster-Hylton | 12.96 | Q, SB | |
| 13 | 3 | Lina Flórez | 12.98 | Q | |
| 14 | 4 | Cindy Roleder | 13.01 | q | |
| 15 | 5 | Sun Yawei | 13.03 | Q | |
| 16 | 3 | Tatyana Dektyareva | 13.05 | Q | |
| 17 | 2 | Derval O'Rourke | 13.07 | Q | |
| 17 | 5 | Sandra Gomis | 13.07 | Q | |
| 17 | 5 | Indira Spence | 13.07 | Q, SB | |
| 17 | 1 | Nevin Yanıt | 13.07 | q, SB | |
| 21 | 4 | Seun Adigun | 13.13 | q, SB | |
| 22 | 3 | Lisa Urech | 13.16 | Q | |
| 23 | 2 | Brigitte Merlano | 13.23 | Q | |
| 24 | 2 | Beate Schrott | 13.25 | Q | |
| 25 | 1 | Sonata Tamošaitytė | 13.28 | ||
| 26 | 3 | Marzia Caravelli | 13.29 | ||
| 27 | 2 | Marina Tomić | 13.36 | ||
| 28 | 2 | Lavonne Idlette | 13.39 | ||
| 28 | 2 | Jung Hye-lim | 13.39 | ||
| 30 | 5 | Anastasiya Soprunova | 13.43 | ||
| 31 | 1 | Kierre Beckles | 13.44 | ||
| 32 | 4 | Anne Zagré | 13.47 | ||
| 33 | 3 | Cindy Billaud | 13.50 | ||
| 34 | 3 | Dedeh Erawati | 13.56 | ||
| 35 | 4 | Béatrice Kamboulé | 13.76 | SB | |
| 36 | 5 | Poon Pak Yan | 14.04 | ||
| 37 | 1 | Dipna Lim Prasad | 14.40 | ||
| 38 | 3 | Jeimy Bernárdez | 14.45 | ||
| 5 | Demetra Arachovití |
Semifinals
Qualification: First 2 in each heat and the next 2 fastest advance to the final.Wind:
Heat 1: -0.1 m/s, Heat 2: +0.3 m/s, Heat 3: +0.7 m/s
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Sally Pearson | 12.36 | Q, WL, AR | |
| 2 | 3 | Tiffany Porter | 12.56 | Q, NR | |
| 3 | 3 | Danielle Carruthers | 12.65 | Q | |
| 4 | 1 | Phylicia George | 12.73 | Q, PB | |
| 5 | 2 | Dawn Harper | 12.74 | Q | |
| 6 | 2 | Tatyana Dektyareva | 12.76 | q, SB | |
| 7 | 1 | Kellie Wells | 12.79 | Q | |
| 8 | 3 | Nikkita Holder | 12.84 | q, PB | |
| 9 | 1 | Lisa Urech | 12.86 | ||
| 10 | 3 | Brigitte Foster-Hylton | 12.87 | SB | |
| 11 | 2 | Perdita Felicien | 12.88 | ||
| 12 | 3 | Cindy Roleder | 12.91 | PB | |
| 13 | 2 | Indira Spence | 12.93 | PB | |
| 14 | 1 | Lina Flórez | 12.94 | PB | |
| 15 | 2 | Natalya Ivoninskaya | 12.96 | ||
| 16 | 2 | Lucie Škrobáková | 12.98 | ||
| 17 | 1 | Vonette Dixon | 13.00 | ||
| 18 | 3 | Beate Schrott | 13.02 | ||
| 19 | 2 | Seun Adigun | 13.14 | ||
| 20 | 1 | Sun Yawei | 13.19 | ||
| 21 | 3 | Brigitte Merlano | 13.21 | ||
| 22 | 1 | Nevin Yanıt | 13.31 | ||
| 23 | 1 | Sandra Gomis | 13.55 | ||
| 3 | Derval O'Rourke |
Final
Wind" +1.1 m/s| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 3 | Sally Pearson | 12.28 | CR, AR, WL | ||
| 6 | Danielle Carruthers | 12.47 | PB | ||
| 8 | Dawn Harper | 12.47 | PB | ||
| 4 | 5 | Tiffany Porter | 12.63 | ||
| 5 | 1 | Tatyana Dektyareva | 12.82 | ||
| 6 | 2 | Nikkita Holder | 12.93 | ||
| 7 | 4 | Phylicia George | 17.97 | ||
| 7 | Kellie Wells |