Kirani James dropped an early promise as a sprinter. Well, we can describe it as the “love at first sight” that hooked Kirani onto the field.
At present, he is globally recognized as the first and only Olympic medalist of Grenada.
Furthermore, James is best known for the 200 and 400 meters track. Throughout his journey, he did get a hard spot right during his peak career. However, he was back on track in no time.
Herewith, we will dive into James’ journey and career, discussing his days alongside. But before laying out everything, let’s learn a bit through his quick facts and routine.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Kinari James |
| Date of Birth | 1 September 1992 |
| Birth Place | Gouyave, Saint John, Grenada |
| Nick Name | Jaguar |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | Grenadian |
| Ethnicity | Unknown |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Age | 31 years old |
| Height | 1.91 meters (6’3″) |
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Jurani Marshall |
| Mother’s Name | Annie James |
| Siblings | Unknown |
| Education | Grenada Boys Secondary school University of Alabama |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Girlfriend | None |
| Profession | Sprinter |
| Sports | Track and field |
| Events | Sprinting |
| College Team | Alabama Crimson Tide |
| Coach | Harvey Glance |
| Net Worth | Around $5 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Rare Poster Print |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Kirani James | Body Measurements
Talking about his body, Kirani James has a slim, slender body towering at the height of 1.91 meters (6 feet 3 inches). In the meantime, he weighs 80 kg (176 lb).
Well, James is dark-skinned with an oval-shaped face. Also, he has black eyes with hair of similar color. His hair is trimmed shortly.
Workout Routine
Can you believe that James is one of the fastest runners in the world and walks slowly? It did come out as a surprise that James is a really slow walker though he runs quite fast.
“Most people see me, and they’re like, ‘I can’t believe you’re that fast because you walk so slow, and you don’t act like you’re fast.’” -Kirani James
Keeping it aside, as we talk about his training schedule, James loves to train from his home in Grenada. Some of the few exercises that he is heavily involved in are the ladders and jogging.
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Kirani James | Early Life
James, the Grenadian athlete, was born on 1 September 1992 in Gouyave, Saint John, Grenada, under the sun sign of Virgo. He was born to Jurani Marshall and Annie James.
Although not much is known in-depth of his family stuff, James comes from a family with basketball history. As per James, almost all his family was involved in basketball.
Schooling Phase
As a kid, James accomplished his schooling at Grenada Boys Secondary school. During that tenure, he had commenced running in track.
At the age of fourteen, he bagged the gold medal at the 2007 CARIFTA Games in the Under 17 category.
Following it, he won silver at the 2007 World Youth Championships. Herewith, he kept up defending his title until he surpassed Usain Bolt’s record as well.
By then, he had claimed the 2008 World Junior Championships, 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, and Austin Sealy Trophy. So it was then, as James surpassed Bolt’s six-year-old mark of 46.35 seconds with his own 45.45 seconds.
Likewise, when James won the 2009 Pan American Junior Championships, he was also titled the 2009 Grenada Sportsman of the Year.
College
Indeed, after setting new records and gaining continuous wins, James gained numerous scholarships contract from high-end colleges.
Some of the top ten colleges include Baylor, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida State, and Arizona State.
Anyways, Kirani James picked out Alabama and devoted himself to them. As a rookie, he instantly broke the school’s ten-year record of 46.46 seconds on the 400 meters track with his own 45.79 seconds.
Afterward, James took the victory on the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics. However, he later opened about his dissatisfaction with his win.
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Kirani James | Professional Career
Initially, Kirani James entered the professional arena through the London Grand Prix Diamond League meeting. Right in the start, he posted his personal best time of 44.61 seconds and then stood as the fastest man of the year.
The next year, James bagged his victory in the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Therewith, he became the youngest athlete to have a 400 meters win in his resume at the young age of eighteen.
Similarly, he took the 2011 IAAF Diamond League to meet in Zürich and the London 2012 Olympics.
In the same year, James broke the 44 seconds record in 400 meters with his 43.94 seconds. Here, he became the first Grenadian and the first non-US to surpass it.
Reaching the year-end, James stood as the co-sportsmen of the year by Caribbean Journal alongside Usain Bolt.
Also, in 2014, he was titled the Sportsman of the Year by the Caribbean Sports Journalists’ Association.
With numerous victories in between, today James is one of the six-member Grenada team to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
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Awards
- Grenada Athlete of the Year (2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014)
- 2007 CARIFTA Games (gold)
- 2007 World Youth Championships (silver)
- 2008 World Junior Championships (silver)
- 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games (gold)
- Austin Sealy Trophy in 2009
- 2009 Pan American Junior Championships
- 2009 Grenada Sportsman of the Year
- 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics (gold)
- NCAA Outdoor Championship title
- 2011 IAAF Diamond League meet in Zürich
- 2012 co-sportsmen of the year by Caribbean Journal
- 2014 Sportsman of the Year by the Caribbean Sports Journalists’ Association
- 2015 World Championships (bronze)
- Rio 2016 Olympics (silver)
Grave’s Disease
Way back in 2017, Kirani James struggled with fatigue and poor performance at the Drake Relays. Therewith, he had him checked up right after, and that was how he learned himself suffering from Grave’s Disease.
For elaboration, Grave’s Disease is a condition that causes an overactive thyroid.
Well, the specialist claimed that the disease would cause him to lose weight, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Therewith, James had taken off a whole year out from the track.
During his course of the medication, James lost around 20 pounds. In the meantime, his coach helped him connect with another athlete who had faced a similar condition, Gail Devers.
With this, James was back on the race track fourteen months later at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica.
Kinari James | Net Worth
To date, Kinari James hasn’t opened up about his earnings in detail. Although we have no exact details on his earnings and net worth, it is estimated that James depicts a net worth of around $5 million.
Not to mention, with all those wins, he must portray a hefty prize amount. Also, as per the sources, James earned around US$40,000 just from a single race.
Herewith, his majority of earnings comes as a runner.
Talking about back in time when James won the Olympic games, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas had a luxury welcome for him. Well, James gained a government bond worth EC500,000.
In the meantime, they also launched a commemorative stamp and a stadium under Kinari James’ name. Likewise, he was also appointed as the tourism ambassador.
Endorsements and Sponsorships
Well, James is sponsored by the LIME Carifta games. With them, he features in their regional campaigns and makes appearances on behalf of the brand.
Furthermore, he is the brand ambassador for the Caribbean business of Cable & Wireless Communications. At the same time, James is also the brand ambassador for the Flow CARIFTA Game.
Kinari James | Personal Life
According to the sources, Kinari James is currently single and not involved in any relationship. Well, he is also not involved in any scandals and rumors.
Social Media
For further personal uploads and posts, do follow his social media sites. He is on Instagram as Kinari James (@kiranirunjames) with over 1k followers.
Similarly, he is on Twitter as Kinari James (@Kinari_James) with 3.1k followers.
Kinari James | FAQs
Does Kinari James play basketball? In what position did he star in?
Kinari James did play basketball in his early days; however, he left it after his injury. Back then, he was in the defensive position as a guard.
