How much does Michelle Jenneke have to do to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games?
The former Cherrybrook Little Athletics member missed out on a bronze by just 0.09 seconds finishing fifth in a world class women’s 100m hurdles final.
Jenneke, who has had a bad run of injuries, had a similar experience at the 2018 Gold Coast Games where she missed bronze by a mere 0.01 seconds.
The Dural ace’s timing of 12.68 seconds in the 2022 Games was just 0.03 seconds off the previous Games record but still not enough on the day because she ran in a world class field. Defending champ and world record holder Tobi Anusan of Nigeria scorched home in a Games record of 12.30 seconds.
Australia’s ‘Dancing Hurdler’ was backing up after a superb showing at the 2022 World Athletics Championship where she clocked her personal best of 12.66 seconds. There again, it was Anusan who blitzed the field in a world record time of 12.12 seconds.
Jenneke is a darling of media and the fans for her infectious dancing routine before her races.
“I would have liked another personal best, but it wasn’t to be today,” Jenneke told Channel 7 after the Games final.
“To back up my run from worlds, go fast with a slight headwind there… so really happy with that performance. It’s just tough when you’re racing a field of that quality.
“Fifth in the Commonwealth probably doesn’t sound quite that impressive, but I tell you what, with that field, it really is.
“I had a pretty rough two years. There were times people in my inner circle were saying to me, ‘Are you sure you want to be doing this?’ And I was just saying back to them, ‘I’ve got more in me’.
“It shows that I have and I’m really glad I could show the world what I’m capable of,” she said.
Jenneke had run the fastest time of her life — 12.63 seconds — in the semi-finals, but unfortunately, the time did not count as a new PB because it was wind-assisted.
