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Samantha Dirks

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Samantha Dirks
Personal information
NationalityBelizean
Born (1992-12-18) 18 December 1992 (age 33)[1]
Los Angeles, United States
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[2]
Sport
SportSprinting
Event
400 metres
University teamCal State Northridge Matadors

Samantha Nicole Dirks (born 18 December 1992) is a Belizean sprinter. She represented Belize at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 400 metres and was a flag bearer in the opening ceremony. She holds the national record in the 400 metres.[3]

Career

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Dirks began track during her senior year at Granada Hills High School,[4] after previously playing basketball.[2] She competed at the collegiate level for California State University, Northridge and finished fourth in the 400 metres at the 2016 MPSF Championship.[2] She was raised in the San Fernando Valley in the United States, but she represents Belize, her parents' homeland, in international competition.[5] She won a gold medal with the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2016 Central American Championships.[6]

Dirks competed in the 400 metres at the 2017 World Championships, finishing 49th in the heats.[7] She won gold medals in both the 200 metres and the 400 metres at the 2017 Central American Championships in Athletics.[8] She was selected to represent Belize at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in 400 metres but did not start in her heat.[9] She won the 200 metres at both the 2018 and 2019 Central American Championships.[10][11]

Dirks won another gold medal in the 200 metres at the 2021 Central American Championships.[12] She was awarded a universality place for the 2020 Summer Olympics, as no athlete from Belize met the Olympic Qualifying Standards. Although the Belize Athletic Association recommended her for a place in the 200 metres, she was awarded a spot in the 400 metres,[13] where she placed 7th in her heat and did not advance to the semifinals.[14] Her time, 54.16 seconds, was a season best for her, but she said afterward that she had been hoping for a better time.[15] She was one of two flag bearers for Belize in the opening ceremony.[5]

As of 2023, Dirks is a part of the 2028 Summer Olympics athlete fellowship program, working in partnership sales.[4]

References

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  1. ↑ "Samantha Dirks". IAAF. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Samantha Dirks - 2016 - Women's Track & Field". CSUN Athletics. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Butler, Mark, ed. (11 July 2022). "Women's Lists: National Records: 400 Metres". World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Statistics Handbook (PDF). Produced in collaboration with the Association of Track and Field Statisticians. World Athletics. pp. 802–804. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  4. 1 2 Bregman, Scott (6 December 2023). "From Tokyo 2020 to Los Angeles 2028, Belize's Samantha Dirks is seeing a whole new side of the Games". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 "San Fernando Valley sprinter competed for Belize, carried nation's flag at Tokyo Olympics". Daily News. 2 August 2021.
  6. ↑ Humes, Aaron (20 June 2016). "National track team grabs medals in El Salvador". Breaking Belize News. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "400 Metres women". IAAF. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Performance Report on Central American Senior Championships in Honduras". Amandala. 5 June 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "Commonwealth Games: Athletics - Women's 400m results". BBC Sport. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Central American Championships Ciudad de Guatemala (GUA) Women's 200 Metres". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Central American Championships Managua (NCA)". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Morales Iglesias, Rubén (27 June 2021). "Samantha Dirks wins gold medal in 200m at Central American Athletics Championships". Breaking Belize News. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  13. ↑ "Samantha Dirks going to the Tokyo Olympics, joins Shaun Gill". Breaking Belize News. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Athletics - Round 1 - Heat 3 Results". Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
  15. ↑ "Samantha Dirks not satisfied with run at Olympics, promises to do better at next international competition". Belize News and Opinion. 3 August 2021.
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