Michelle Jenneke

BIOGRAPHY

In 2022 Michelle Jenneke was selected for her fourth consecutive world championships, where again she progressed to the semi-final. In the heat she clocked her fastest time for seven years of 12.84 and in the semi, she went event faster, 12.66, as the winner broke the World Record. Michelle’s time moved her to second fastest Australian all-time. She placed fifth in her semi and 11th overall.

Two weeks later she made her third consecutive Commonwealth Games final. After clocking a windy 12.63 in the heat, she ran 12.68 in the final. 

In early 2023 she raced on eight occasions over two weeks indoors in Europe, bring her best down to 7.89 seconds. Domestically in 2023, she clocked her third career sub-12.70 time at the Sydney Track Classic with 12.69. In April she won her second National 100m hurdles title, seven years after her first in 2016. 

She was named in the Australian team for the Budapest World Championships – her fifth consecutive world championships team. It is also her 13th Australian senior team.

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Michelle Jenneke started training with her first coach Mick Zisti when she was 10-years-old and competed for Cherrybrook Little Athletics Club (after one year at Ryde Little Athletics). In 2010, she placed second in the women's 100m hurdles at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Two years later she was a finalist at the world junior championships in Barcelona. 

After an injury in 2013, she made a successful senior international debut in 2014, progressing to the final at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Against the clock, she progressed significantly in 2015. She started the year with a best of 13.23, but by the end of 2015 she had run nine times quicker and slashed her best to 12.82 to become the second fastest in Australian history. She also progressed to the semi-final at the 2015 World Championships and won bronze at the 2015 World University Games. 
After placing fourth in her heat at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in March, she won the national title in an Olympic qualifying time of 12.93. In Rio, she placed sixth in her heat and didn’t progress to the next round. 
In 2017 she compiled a strong domestic season running 12.99 in March - her fifth sub-13 second time of her career. At the National Championships in April, she placed third. At the 2017 World Championships, she ran well in the heats to progress to the semi-final of the 100m hurdles. Two weeks later, in late August, she was again in competition at the World University Games, placing eighth in the 100m hurdles final.

She went into the 2018 Australian Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games trials ranked third in Australia, but rose to the occasion to place second to Sally Pearson and courtesy of her earlier A qualifying mark, achieved automatic selection for her second Games. In early March 2018 she competed at her second IAAF World Indoor Championships, progressing to the semi-final in the 60m hurdles and in April placed fourth in the Commonwealth Games final.

2019 was a big year again for Michelle, racing on 21 occasions and nailing quality performances when it counted. Selected for her third World Championships she clocked a seasons best of 12.98 in the heats in Doha. The time progressed her to her third consecutive semi-final at the World Championships.

Injuries and cancelled competitions due to COVID hampered her 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2022 she was back in the National team, selected for the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Profile: She became an internet sensation, as the "Dancing Hurdler", after footage went viral of her pre-race warm-up dancing was captured at a 100 metres hurdles heat of the 2012 World Junior Championships. One version of the video has amassed more than 30 million views on YouTube…Other sports: Played soccer with the boys for 12 years, and at school played representative European handball, futsal, outdoor soccer and touch football…Education: Engineering (Mechatronics), University of Sydney (graduated 2019)

@ August 2023 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au

World Athletics Profile https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/michelle-jenneke-14365887