- Name: Jenny Meadows
- Birth Date: 17/04/1981
- Born: Wigan, UK
- Trains: Wigan, UK
- Lives: Wigan, UK
Jenny is established as one of Britain’s leading female athletes. Her breakthrough came at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin where she won a Bronze Medal. Since Berlin, Jenny has gone from strength to strength; improving her indoor PB first at the Birmingham Grand Prix in February 2010, breaking Kelly Holmes’ record in the process, then again at the World Indoor Championships in Doha when claiming the Silver Medal. Jenny then went to Barcelona for the European Championships in 2010 and showed the world her courage and ability as she came away with a Bronze Medal despite not being fully fit.
As a junior, Jenny initially competed at both 400m and 800m, winning the English Schools junior girls 800m in 1995 before opting to focus on the 400m. In 2005 she decided to switch her focus back to the 800m. Dividends soon paid off and in the 2008 Olympic season, she reached the World Indoor final, won the European Cup and finished 6th at the Olympic semi-final in Beijing.
Awarded the captaincy of the Great Britain team at the World Indoor Championships in 2011 by UK Athletics head coach Charles Van Commenee, Jenny addressed her team mates in an inspirational talk about the need to perform without fear prior to the competition. Having produced another stellar performance to claim Silver, this was later upgraded to Gold when Russian runner Yevgenia Zirunova was disqualified after being found guilty of a drug offence.
Jenny went to the World Championships in Daegu in 2011 with one aim – to continue her impressive record of medalling at the four previous major championships. In a blip not seen from Jenny in many years, she failed to qualify for the final but showed her pedigree in producing a fast time at the final Diamond League meet of the year in Brussels, cementing her place at the top of the table for 2011.
Sadly a persistent Achilles injury has blighted her 2012 season, rendering her unable to compete neither during the indoors nor at the Olympic trials. In a final bid to secure Olympic qualification, Jenny flew to the European Championships in Helsinki in a positive frame of mind but tragedy struck once more as her injury flared up and she had to withdraw, effectively ending her hopes of running at her home Games.
Jenny made a return to competitive action just in time to head to Gothenburg for the 2013 European Indoor Championships, in an attempt to defend her title. Jenny was again awarded with the captaincy of the Great Britain team and put in strong performances to qualify for the final, finishing a credible 4th.
