Sally Gunnell

Sally Jane Janet Gunnell OBE (born 29 July 1966 in Chigwell, Essex, England) is a former British Olympic champion in the 400m hurdles. She has also worked as a television presenter predominantly for the BBC until January 2006. [ [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=374122&in_page_id=1773&in_a_source= BBC undermined me so I quit, says Gunnell] Daily Mail, accessed 08/11/07]

Career

Gunnell started out in athletics with the Essex Ladies club [ [http://website.lineone.net/~wgel/history.html The Glorious Tale of Two Clubs now United.] Woodford Green Athletic Club, accessed 08/11/07] as an accomplished long jumper and pentathlete before turning to the sprints and hurdling and is the only woman to have held the European, World, Commonwealth and Olympic 400 metre hurdles titles at the same time. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/hi/bbc_coverage/newsid_2056000/2056152.stm Sally Gunnell] BBC, accessed 08/11/07]

Gunnell won the 400m hurdles at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. [ [http://www.britisholympians.com/athlete.aspx?at=1462 Sally Gunnell] britisholymplians.com, accessed 08/11/07] She set the world record in the same event when she won gold in the 1993 World Championships. This record was broken by Kim Batten in 1995, but is still the UK record. Her defence of her Olympic title in Atlanta in 1996 was cut short as she pulled up in one of her races, injured. This seemed a particularly cruel blow as this race occurred on her 30th birthday. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/content/articles/2006/12/20/essex_at_20_sally_gunnell_feature.shtml Essex at 20: Sally Gunnell] BBC, accessed 08/11/07]

In 1996, Gunnell worked as a Red Cross ambassador in Angola. In September 1997, she retired after a recurrence of an achilles tendon injury.

In 1998, Gunnell was made an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/06/98/queens_birthday_honours/111911.stm Sports stars share honours] BBC, accessed 08/11/07]

In summer 2006, she was a celebrity showjumper in the BBC's Sport Relief event "Only Fools on Horses". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_5060000/newsid_5062100/5062110.stm Celebs saddle up for Sport Relief] BBC, accessed 08/11/07]

She is married to fellow athlete Jonathan Bigg, and has three children; Finley, Luca, and Marley (all boys). She lives in Steyning, a village just outside Brighton in West Sussex. [ [http://www.sportinglife.com/olympics/best_of_british/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=others/00/08/22/OLYMPICS_Gunnell.html Super Sally's Spanish Success] Sporting Life, accessed 08/11/07]

References

External links

* [http://www.sallygunnell.com/ Sally Gunnell Official Website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1109345/ Profile at the IMDb]