Popular Hills 100m hurdling star Michelle Jenneke is off to her second Olympics, eight years after her debut Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Jenneke secured her Paris berth after retaining her national title in Adelaide last Sunday with a terrific mid-race burst. The win took some toll on her, though, because she lay flat on the ground for several minutes after her win.
“I’ve been feeling in really good shape but I came down with a cold 10 days ago, which wasn’t the best,” the Paris-bound ace told the Wide World Of Sports after her victory. “I’ve just been telling myself all week, ‘It’s only 100 metres’ … I am honestly elated with what I was able to put together today.”
Jenneke, who shuttles between Sydney and the Gold Coast, is studying engineering (mechatronics) and is a former Cherrybrook Athletics star. She said she has always focussed on her athletics.
“Honestly, I’ve always been runningfocused.… You see people in the media and you think, ‘Oh, they’re doing lots of stuff’, but media commitments actually don’t take a lot of time,” Jenneke said.
Her selection underlines her stature as one of Australia’s best hurdlers on the short distance since making her debut at the 2010 Youth Olympics. At 30, she is one of the seasoned members of the large Australian contingent at the Paris Games, having made her first senior representation at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Since that event, Jenneke has the enviable record of representing Australia every year except for the Covid years of 2020 and 2021.
While she is famous for her sexy dance moves before her events, she is a genuine challenger at the highest level, with her performance at the 2023 World Championships, where she made the semifinals again, a testimony to her determination to compete against the best.
Currently, she is probably at the peak of her form, with 10 of her fastest times nailed during the last two years. Last year, Jenneke was in scintillating form, with 14 sub-13 second times, making her one of the fastest in Australia.
Jenneke has a huge following on social media with more than a million followers on Facebook alone.
