With Her Dog By Her Side, World Champion Kori Carter Clears Hurdles On and Off the Track
Kori Carter wasn’t expected to make headlines at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London. All eyes were on American Olympic gold medalist Dalilah Muhammad, who—just three weeks prior—had run a personal best. Experts predicted she’d repeat as champion in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
But Carter had other plans. From lane nine, she exploded out of the blocks and held her position up front—unable to see how far behind her competitors were, or whether they were closing in. As the runners converged into the homestretch, Muhammad and Carter were locked 1–2—until the final hurdle. That’s where Carter unleashed one last surge, pulling ahead of Muhammad and crossing the line first. In 53.07 seconds—the fastest time ever recorded from lane nine—she claimed the world title in a stunning upset.
No one saw it coming—except, Carter says, her closest supporters, who’ve stood by her through years of training and sacrifice. That includes Kovu, her Alaskan Klee Kai, who’s been her steady companion through every high and low of her professional journey. Caring for Kovu brings essential balance to Carter’s demanding life of elite training and global competition—and reminds her that she’s not just an accomplished athlete, but also a devoted, responsible dog mom.
Originally from Claremont, California, Carter grew up playing softball, soccer, and basketball. Her natural speed set her apart early, and she leaned into athleticism across every sport. But when she joined her middle school track team, something clicked. Track was the first sport that inspired her to go the extra mile—not just to win, but to grow.
“I liked the fact that my success was in my hands,” Carter says. She studied race videos, refined her technique at practice, and read deeply about events and strategy. At first, she dreamed of becoming a heptathlete—like three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee—competing across seven disciplines. But as she tried different events, she discovered her true calling: the hurdles.
“I fell in love with the craftsmanship of it,” she says. “That’s how I knew this is what I’m meant to do. With every other sport, I loved to compete, period. But with track, I fell in love with the process.”
A five-time California state champion at Claremont High School, Carter earned her first international medal as a junior at the 2009 World Youth Championships—finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles. That success earned her a spot on Stanford University’s track team, where she set the collegiate record in the 400-meter hurdles en route to the NCAA championship in 2013. Turning professional in 2014, she won the USATF Outdoor Championships and quickly emerged as a global force.
Track may have been Carter’s first love—but her affection for dogs ran a close second. “I’ve always loved dogs, but I never really had one growing up,” she says. That changed after she turned pro. Following her 2013 NCAA title, she signed a sponsorship deal with Nike—and later that summer, brought home Kovu as a puppy.
“Once I became an adult, I got my baby,” Carter says.
Learning to care for Kovu reshaped her sense of responsibility. “He is a very vocal dog—especially as a puppy,” she recalls. “He’ll let you know: ‘Hey, I’m hungry. I want to go out. I want to go for a walk.’ I was kind of on his time. I had to be on it—with him and whatever he needed.” (Happily, she adds, Kovu has since “mellowed out.”)
Over time, Carter learned to listen—and prioritize his needs.
“He’s always been part of my adult routine. You learn to be more responsible because you have another creature depending on you to survive,” she says.
With Kovu keeping her grounded, Carter kept climbing. In 2015, she qualified for Team USA’s first appearance at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing—advancing to the semifinals. In 2016, she narrowly missed the U.S. Olympic team, finishing fourth at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
After that season, Carter reunited with her college coach, Edrick Floréal—who was then head coach at the University of Kentucky. So she and Kovu packed up and moved to Lexington. With no apartment secured yet, they stayed with Floréal and his family for several weeks until finding their own place. “He’s not a big fan of dogs,” Carter says with a laugh, “but he let me bring Kovu anyway—and that made all the difference.”
Floréal’s intense workouts left her utterly spent. “I’d come home and pass out face-down on the bed—even sleeping through Kovu’s daily playtime with Teddy, Coach’s daughter’s dog,” she recalls. “His wife would come in and say, ‘You’d be knocked out cold while the dogs ran right over you!’ And I’d just say, ‘Yeah… that sounds about right.’”
Her perseverance paid off. In her first season under Floréal, Carter set personal bests: 23.07 seconds in the indoor 200 meters, 8.11 in the 60-meter hurdles, and 52.95 in the 400-meter hurdles. For the first time since 2015, she made Team USA—finishing third at the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships.
Then came August 10, 2017—the breakthrough race that crowned her world champion.
Kovu wasn’t in London to celebrate—but Carter carried him in her heart. “I’m really grateful for the community I have and the support system that steps up to take care of the most precious thing in my life,” she says. “I feel like I have to go out and perform—because they sacrificed so much for me. If they’re going to go out of their way to help me, I can’t go out there and lose.”
“Kovu is also a huge motivation for me. Kibble isn’t free—and I want to win so I can give him the best life ever.”
In June 2018, Floréal accepted the head coaching role at the University of Texas in Austin—and once again, Carter and Kovu followed, relocating to the Lone Star State. Despite constant moves and relentless travel, Kovu remains her anchor.
“He’s been my constant through all of that,” she says. “He’s always at my side. He’s my piece of stability—because my life is a little crazy.”
During the pandemic, Kovu’s role deepened. When the Tokyo Olympics were postponed to 2021 and major competitions vanished overnight, he reminded her of purpose beyond the track.
“I still have some sort of purpose—even without competitions,” she says. “Kovu is my little source of grounding, of joy, of unconditional love.”
