Maurice Wignall
A Jamaican hurdling pioneer who broke barriers as his nation's first world-class competitor in the demanding 110-meter high hurdles event.
Born 1976 (age 50)·Jamaican athletics competitor·Birthday: April 17·Generation X
Biography
Maurice Wignall, born in 1976, carved a unique niche in the storied history of Jamaican track and field. In a nation famous for producing sprinting superstars, Wignall specialized in the technically demanding 110-meter hurdles, becoming a standard-bearer for the event. His career was defined by consistency and breakthrough performances on the biggest stages. He reached four consecutive Olympic finals from 2000 to 2012, a testament to his longevity and elite-level skill. Wignall's peak came in 2004, where he set a national record and claimed a fourth-place finish at the Athens Olympics, missing a medal by the slimmest of margins. He also secured a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2006. More than just an athlete, Wignall paved the way for future Jamaican hurdlers, proving that the island could develop world-class talent in an event requiring precision as much as power.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Maurice was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maurice Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Maurice's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished fourth in the 110m hurdles at the 2004 Athens Olympics, setting a then-national record of 13.21 seconds.
- Won the gold medal in the 110m hurdles at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
- Competed in four consecutive Olympic Games (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012), reaching the final in three of them.
- Held the Jamaican national record in the 110m hurdles for several years during his career.
Did You Know?
He is one of the few Jamaican athletes to achieve sustained global success in a non-sprinting track event.
He competed collegiately in the United States at Texas Christian University (TCU).
His 2004 Olympic performance was the highest finish by a Jamaican in the 110m hurdles at the time.
He continued competing at the international level well into his late 30s.
“In a sprinting nation, I chose the hurdles and made them my own.”
