Ronald Levy (athlete)
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_(cropped).jpg) Levy in 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 30 October 1992 Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 168 cm (5 ft 6 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | 110 metres hurdles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Technology, Jamaica | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Stephen Francis Brigitte Foster-Hylton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best | 110 m hurdles: 13.05 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ronald Levy (born 30 October 1992) is a Jamaican male track and field athlete who competes in the 110 metres hurdles. He holds a personal best of 13.05 seconds for that event, set in 2017, as well as a 100 metres sprint best of 10.17 seconds.[2] He was the gold medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a bronze medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Born in Westmoreland Parish, he went on to study at the University of Technology, Jamaica.[1] He took time to develop as an elite athlete, initially competing in a variety of sprint and hurdles events. In the 2014 season, he ran a best of 20.81 seconds for the 200 metres, showing his flat speed. He gradually improved his time in the 110 m hurdles, running 13.63 seconds in 2015 and 13.50 in 2016.[2]
A significant breakthrough came in the 2017 season under the coaching of Stephen Francis and Brigitte Foster-Hylton. He defeated Olympic medallist Hansle Parchment at the UTech Classic before winning at the Penn Relays in a new best of 13.33 seconds. On his IAAF Diamond League debut he was runner-up to Olympic champion Omar McLeod at the Prefontaine Classic – his time of 13.10 seconds ranked him second in the world behind his compatriot.[3] He was runner-up to McLeod at the Jamaican Athletics Championships in June,[4] then overhauled his rival to win at the Meeting de Paris Diamond League, establishing himself among the world's best with a time of 13.05 seconds.[5] Another win followed at the Meeting Città di Padova, but at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics he failed at the first hurdle in the heats and withdrew.[6]
He had his first indoor hurdles appearances in 2018 and, after a win at the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix, he managed to reach the 60 metres hurdles semi-finals at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships, narrowly missing out on qualification for the final by one hundredth of a second.[7] He achieved his first international medal at the age of 25, taking gold at the Commonwealth Games in a Jamaican 1–2 with Hansle Parchment.[8]
In June 2021, Levy won the Jamaican Olympic trials with a time of 13.10 (+0.6 m/s) ahead of Damion Thomas, to qualify for the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics.[9] In the final of the 110 m hurdles at the Olympic Games he won the bronze medal with a time of 13.10, finishing behind Hansle Parchment and Grant Holloway.[10]
In November 2023, Levy tested positive for GW501516 which is a banned substance under anti-doping rules.[11] Levy was subsequently issued with a four-year ban by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission to run to 2027.[12][13]
Personal bests
- 60 metres – 6.62 (2016)
- 100 metres – 10.17 (2017)
- 200 metres – 20.81 (2014)
- 60 metres hurdles – 7.49 (2017)
- 110 metres hurdles – 13.05 (2017)
