Background
He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and his family moved to the suburb of Wyoming.
He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and his family moved to the suburb of Wyoming.
Payne competed in the 110 and 400 meter hurdles while attending the University of Cincinnati. He set school records for both distances and was a two time National Collegiate Athletic Association All-American in the 110m hurdles. Payne now resides in Northern Kentucky and trains in Cincinnati, Ohio.
This feat was especially surprising since Payne was filling in, as an alternate, for the injured American record holder, Dominique Arnold, and had only arrived in Japan from the United States. less than 24 hours before he was to race.
Payne grabbed the final qualifying spot for the Beijing Olympics at the 2008 Outdoor National Championships. In 2009, after sitting out most of the indoor season, Payne returned to Olympic form during the outdoor season capturing the 2009 USATF National Championship in the 110m hurdles, a feat which qualified him for the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
While at University of California, Payne won multiple individual titles in Conference United States of America and was named Conference United States of America Outdoor Athlete of the Year while guiding the Bearcats to the C-United States of America 2004 outdoor title. In 2007 he won the silver medal at the Pan American Games behind Dayron Robles, and the bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships, the latter in a personal best time of 13.02 seconds. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, Payne continued his ascent in the track and field world and won a Silver Medal in the 110m hurdles in a season best time of 13.17 seconds. World record holder Dayron Robles, of Cuba, won the gold. In a photo finish, Payne edged out fellow 2008 Olympian, 2007 World Silver Medalist, and former 110m hurdle National Champion Terrence Trammell by.003 of a second with a winning time of 13.115. Again, Payne surprised many by overtaking Trammell in the final steps although Trammell led coming off the final hurdle and was thought by the announcers to have won.
