Liz Clay

Biography

While battling injuries, Liz Clay was a regular mid-13 second 100m hurdler from her teens until age 24 in 2019. But in February 2020 there would be a turning point when she made a massive breakthrough clocking her first sub 13 second time. Shortly after COVID shut down the remainder of her 2020 campaign. Then in 2021 the progression and consistency at a new level was frantic with 11 sub-13 runs, including a summer best of 12.72 (number two Aussie all-time) and the national title. Selected for her Olympic debut at Tokyo she was superb, second in her heat, then third in the semi-final. She clocked a PB 12.71 to just miss a place in the final by 0.04 seconds.

“I’m gutted….to miss this final by 0.04 seconds is so disappointing,” Clay said. “I can’t believe it I wanted it so bad. It’s been such a long journey to get here. I think I held my own out there and believe I’m good enough to be in the final. A personal best by 0.01 is great, but that’s nothing compared to what making the final would have meant. The calibre this year is insane. I’ll be back in Paris and pushing for that final.”

In 2022 competed in Belgrade at the World Indoor Championships, placing fourth in her semi-final, missing a position in the final by 0.01 seconds. In April she defended her National title in a quick 12.72, just 0.01 seconds outside her PB.

At the World Championships in Eugene in July, there was great disappointment when Liz fell in her heat, injuring her right foot. It was later diagnosed as a broken Cuneiform bone and Cuboid joint – 4th and 5th metatarsal fractures and dislocation. It required two surgeries, three months apart. Rehabilitation was slow, on crutches and in a cast/boot for six weeks she didn’t run for five months. A year later she was still not back to ‘normal’ function with rehad ongoing.

On three months training she resumed racing in April 2023 running a 100m at the Australian Champs. Competed in four races in Europe in June/July 2023, reaching a best of 13.02 windy. After spraining her ankle while training in Europe, she finished her season and returned to Australia.

Her return continued domestically in early 2024 with a series of good runs eventually back under 13 seconds at the Queensland Championships and Sydney Track Classic. Second at Nationals, she then claimed the Oceania title in June in Suva.

Selected for her second Olympics in 2024, Liz arrived at the Games with a solid leadup under her belt, including a 12.78 clocking in Europe. Placing 4th in her heat with 12.94, she then placed 5th in her repechage with a time of 12.99.

Post Olympics, after over a decade on the Gold Coast, Liz made a major decision to continue her athletics in America. (below in her bio notes is her emotional farewell post).

After opening her 2025 season in Phoenix in March with a time of 12.90, in April she won her third Australian title in a quick time of 12.74w (2.1m/s).

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A keen dancer when she was very young, Liz Clay would go to athletics to watch her younger brother Harry compete. She got bored just watching him from the stands and decided to jump the fence and start her sporting journey at Hornsby Little Athletics in the under-10s. Over the next decade her career evolved primarily as a hurdler, but it would be constant injuries which would hamper her career.

Clay was selected for her junior international debut at the 2014 World Juniors in the 100m hurdles, but had to withdraw from the team when she broke her navicular bone weeks before the team departed. After completing an exercise and sports science degree in Sydney, she relocated to the Gold Coast for coaching. She had been making modest improvements in her hurdle times, plagued by injuries every year. It never fully healed and caused problems every season. It was a tough time for Clay, she felt all the other girls were progressing and achieving the things she wanted to and knew she could achieve. During these years she found competing mentally difficult as she never knew what the outcome was going to be, and it made her very stressed.

She recalls the first season without injury preventing her competing, felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Supporting her on her journey since arriving on the Gold Coast was leading Australian hurdles coach Sharon Hannan who had guided Sally Pearson to Olympic gold in 2012.

Her start to the 2018/19 summer was promising, running a 100m personal best and two good hurdle times of 13.39 wind assisted and 13.43 into a strong 1.9m/s wind. But days before the national championships she fractured her fibula in training. So determined, she was not deterred and embarked on a massive winter of training. Finally, in the 2019/20 summer the breakthrough happened. She ran a substantial 100m personal best, then in her pet event the 100m hurdles she broke her now three-year-old hurdles best running 13.26. But that was just a hint of what was to come, when she ran a stunning 12.94 in Melbourne, to become the fourth fastest in Australian history.

She just continued that progression in the summer of 2020/21, setting two PB 12.84, then 12.72, both Olympic qualifiers, as she became the second fastest in Australian history.

Liz Clay’s farewell message in late 2024:

“Well bye… Gold Coast was the place I spent my whole 20s, yes it transformed me from a very average 13.6sec hurdler into a two-time Olympian. But it’s also where I lived out of home for the first time, lived away from my family, met some of my best friends, lived alone for the first time, became a professional athlete and learnt the true meaning of persistence. When I moved up there I had no money and knew no one, 8 years later I had a life I had always dreamed of and a whole new family. I always knew it wasn’t forever, just didn’t know when it would end. I want to thank every housemate, training partner, coach, sponsor and friend who was a part of my journey in the Gold Coast, forever a special place with special people.

And although it feels like now I am starting over again, in a new place that’s further away from everyone, with a new training group and a lot of uncertainty, I did it once so I know I can do it again even better. ❤️‍🔥”

Occupation: Athlete/Graphic Designer… Hobbies: NBA, Design in general (graphic design/interior design)…Most influential people in career: I couldn’t name just one, however Sharon and David my current coaches are at the top…2022 World Championships injury: Right foot – Cuneiform bone, Cuboid joint, 4th and 5th metatarsal fractures and dislocation. It required two surgeries, three months apart…Rehabilitation: She did not run for five months, was in cast/boot for six weeks with crutches. Started running in late December 2022, however was not back to “normal” function for 12 months – rehab is ongoing (@ Nov 2023)…Biggest challenge faced: Breaking my foot in 2022 and the rehab that followed it. The amount of times I’ve felt like I’m starting over or starting again has been very difficult after just getting my career started in 2021…Education: Degree in Exercise and Sports Science at Sydney University

@ 13 Aug 2025 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au