Kelly Holmes Athlete

Kelly Holmes has arguably been one of the UK’s most successful female middle
distance athletes for the past decade. She has won medals at all the major
championships, Olympic, World, Commonwealth, European and World Indoors.
This year Kelly has even surpassed her own aspirations by becoming the first
UK athlete to win double gold medals at the same Olympic Games. By winning
the 800m and 1500m Kelly has created history that not even the great
Sebastian Coe or Steve Ovett, former 800 & 1500 metre Olympians, were able
to achieve. She also ended her season by being voted World Female Athlete of
the Year.

Kelly was born on the 19th of April in 1970, of mixed racial parentage. She was on an
outstanding teenage athlete having won the English Schools 1500metre title,
though Kelly gave up athletics at 18 for a career in the army. However it
was not until Kelly saw a former rival, Lisa York, competing in 3000m heats
at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics that Kelly felt inspired to return to
athletics.

Kelly illustrious return to athletics began with a silver medal in the
1500metres at the 1994 European Cup. That was later followed in the same
year by Kelly winning her first title at the Commonwealth Games where she
won 1500m’s. Since winning her first title Kelly has been one of the world’s
top middle distance runners and her brilliant performances at Athens makes
her favourite to win many sporting and Community accolades like the BBC’s
Sports Personality of the Year and an OBE.

Kelly who hails from Kent has a bubbly personality not arrogant though
sometimes has appeared not confident enough in recent interviews. Kelly has
in the past been hampered with injuries and major disappointments at
sporting events though through hard work and determination has achieved her
goal by becoming a CHAMPION. Kelly has no intention of retiring from
athletics within the near future though at 34 I doubt she will still be
competing by 2008. Once Kelly has retired she may probably work in
television.


CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCES:
Olympics: 2000 bronze 800m, 2004 Gold 800m, Gold 1500m. Worlds: 1995 silver 1500m, bronze 800m, 2003 silver 800m. European: 1994 silver 1500m, 2002 bronze 800m. Commonwealth: 1994 Gold 1500m, 1998 silver 1500m, 2002 Gold 1500m.

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