 Clark in Fiji in April 2014 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Hazel Mae Clark |
Nickname | "Peachy" |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | (1977-10-03)October 3, 1977 (age 48) |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 121 lb (55 kg) |
| Website | clarkfamontop |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
Event | 800 meters |
| College team | University of Florida |
| Turned pro | 1999 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| National finals | Six national titles |
| Highest world ranking | 6th in the world |
Hazel Mae Clark (born October 3, 1977) is an retired Americanmiddle-distance runner who specialized in the800 meters middle distance race. She was a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 2000, 2004 and 2008. She has won six national titles and two USA Olympic Trials events during her career.
Clark was born inLivingston, New Jersey.[1] She is the daughter of inner-city educatorJoe Louis Clark, who inspired the filmLean on Me, and the sister-in-law of fellow OlympianJearl Miles-Clark.Joetta Clark Diggs is her older sister. Hazel Clark, her sister, and her sister-in-law made history when they swept the 2000Olympic trials 800 meters.[2]
Clark attendedColumbia High School. She accepted an athletic scholarship to attend theUniversity of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she was a member of theFlorida Gators track and field team and was coached by her brother J.J. While at Florida, she was undefeated in SEC competition and won five NCAA titles. Clark graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree insociology in 2001. She was honored for her college athletic record when she was inducted into theUniversity of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2012.[3][4]
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Clark finished seventh at the 2000 Olympic Games. At the2001 World Championships, she did not progress past the first round due to injury. In 2001, she was given a warning for usingpseudoephedrine.[5]
Shortly before the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Clark suffered severe burns on her back caused by an accident which limited her training.[6] She did not proceed from her first-round heat in the800 meters. She then had two good seasons with an eighth place at the2005 World Championships, seventh place at the2005 and2006 World Athletics Final, and a sixth place at the2006 World Cup.
In 2008, she won her second U.S. Olympic Trials 800 meters final held in Eugene, Oregon, and competed at the2008 Summer Olympics.[7]Her personal best time is 1:57.99 minutes, achieved in July 2005 at theBislett Games inOslo.
Clark has appeared in three global Nike ads appearing in fashion magazines, stores, and billboards. She has been marketed by Nike as a spokesmodel throughout her career.
From 2018 to 2025, Clark held a series of leadership roles at the Bermuda Tourism Authority.[8]
