Hannah England
Encyclopedia
Hannah England is a British
middle-distance athlete who specialises in the 800 metres
, 1500 metres
and mile run
.
Born in Oxford
, England
, she attended the Cherwell School
in Summertown
, North Oxford
. England joined Oxford City Athletic Club
as an under 13, her first major success coming in the UK Athletics Reebok Cross Country Challenge in Birmingham as an Under 15. In 2005 England joined Birmingham University to study Biochemistry
. Winning the national junior title in the 1500 m and competing at the World Junior Championships
. As part of her degree studies, she spent a year at Florida State University
. During her time there, she competed for the university's track team at the NCAA Track and Field Championship
s, winning the mile run indoors and the 1500 m outdoors. She returned to the United Kingdom and finished third in the 1500 m at the 2008 national championships. However, World Junior Champion Stephanie Twell
was selected ahead of her for the 2008 Summer Olympics
and England attended the Games as a reserve but did not compete.
The following season she competed in the 1500 m at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships, but did not progress beyond the heats after a below-par performance. She set a personal best of 4:05.87 at the Fanny Blankers-Koen
Games in Hengelo
, finishing seventh and beating Olympic champion Nancy Lagat
. England set an 800 m personal best of 1:59.94 at the 2009 European Team Championships
and managed fourth place in both 800 and 1500 metres events, helping the Great Britain team to a third place finish.
Qualification for the World Championships
in the 1500 metres was going to be hard, as four British athletes had achieved the time required, but only three entrants per event were allowed. As Charlene Thomas
surprisingly won the British trials, she was selected by default. Lisa Dobriskey
, who had finished 4th at the Beijing Olympics
the previous year and was still in good form, was also selected on merit; the last remaining place was between England and Stephanie Twell
. As Twell had a faster time that season, as well as higher youth achievement, she was selected over England.
At the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
, England qualified for 1500 metres as one of the top twelve athletes of the season. She finished second in the race, behind only Olympic Champion Nancy Jebet Lagat and beating among others reigning World Champion
Maryam Yusuf Jamal
.
In 2010 England finished a strong second in the 1500m at the European Team Championships in Bergen, Norway and followed it up with a national AAA title, again at 1500m, to secure selection for the European Championships in Barcelona running a startling 56.7 last lap, albeit in a very slow race.
On 1 September 2011 at the IAAF World Athletics Championship, her first global championship meeting, competing in the 1500m final, Hannah produced a stunning final 100 metres, coming from 7th place at the final bend to take the Silver medal in a time of 4:05.68.
She is the daughter of Oxford geophysicist, Professor Philip England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
middle-distance athlete who specialises in the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
, 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
and mile run
Mile run
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...
.
Born in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, she attended the Cherwell School
Cherwell School
The Cherwell School is a state secondary school on the Marston Ferry Road in Oxford, England. The current school site was built in 1963 as a secondary modern school, later becoming the main comprehensive school for North Oxford...
in Summertown
Summertown
Summertown may refer to:* Summertown, Oxford, a suburb of Oxford, England* Summertown, Tennessee, USA, the home of The Farm, an intentional community* Summertown, Georgia, USA* Summertown, South Australia, Australia- See also :...
, North Oxford
North Oxford
North Oxford is a suburban part of the city of Oxford in England. It was owned for many centuries largely by St John's College, Oxford and many of the area's Victorian houses were initially sold on leasehold by the College....
. England joined Oxford City Athletic Club
Oxford City Athletic Club
The Oxford City Athletic Club is an athletics club in Oxford, England.The club is located at the Horspath Sports Ground by the BMW MINI factory....
as an under 13, her first major success coming in the UK Athletics Reebok Cross Country Challenge in Birmingham as an Under 15. In 2005 England joined Birmingham University to study Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
. Winning the national junior title in the 1500 m and competing at the World Junior Championships
2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Center in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China....
. As part of her degree studies, she spent a year at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
. During her time there, she competed for the university's track team at the NCAA Track and Field Championship
NCAA Track and Field Championship
The NCAA Track and Field Championship may refer to one of four competitions:*the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*the NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship...
s, winning the mile run indoors and the 1500 m outdoors. She returned to the United Kingdom and finished third in the 1500 m at the 2008 national championships. However, World Junior Champion Stephanie Twell
Stephanie Twell
Stephanie April "Steph" Twell is a Scottish middle distance runner. She was the winner of the 1500 metres at the World Junior Championships in 2008, and is a three time winner of the European Cross Country Championships junior women's race as well as being part of four winning Great Britain...
was selected ahead of her for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
and England attended the Games as a reserve but did not compete.
The following season she competed in the 1500 m at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships, but did not progress beyond the heats after a below-par performance. She set a personal best of 4:05.87 at the Fanny Blankers-Koen
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Francina "Fanny" Elsje Blankers-Koen was a Dutch athlete, best known for winning four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. She accomplished this as a 30 year old mother of two, during a time when many disregarded women's athletics...
Games in Hengelo
Hengelo
Hengelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city lies along the motorways A1/E30 and A35 and it has a station for the International Amsterdam – Hannover – Berlin service.-Traffic and transport:...
, finishing seventh and beating Olympic champion Nancy Lagat
Nancy Lagat
Nancy Jebet Langat is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. She won the 1500 metre final at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in a personal best time of 4:00.23....
. England set an 800 m personal best of 1:59.94 at the 2009 European Team Championships
2009 European Team Championships
The first SPAR European Team Championships took place on 20 and 21 June 2009. The track and field athletics tournament run by European Athletics was the successor of the old European Cup competition which was held annually until 2008...
and managed fourth place in both 800 and 1500 metres events, helping the Great Britain team to a third place finish.
Qualification for the World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
in the 1500 metres was going to be hard, as four British athletes had achieved the time required, but only three entrants per event were allowed. As Charlene Thomas
Charlene Thomas
Charlene Thomas is an English middle distance runner who competes internationally for Great Britain....
surprisingly won the British trials, she was selected by default. Lisa Dobriskey
Lisa Dobriskey
Lisa Jane Dobriskey is an English middle distance athlete. She was the Commonwealth champion in the 1500 m in 2006. More recently, she won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 2009 World Championships....
, who had finished 4th at the Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
the previous year and was still in good form, was also selected on merit; the last remaining place was between England and Stephanie Twell
Stephanie Twell
Stephanie April "Steph" Twell is a Scottish middle distance runner. She was the winner of the 1500 metres at the World Junior Championships in 2008, and is a three time winner of the European Cross Country Championships junior women's race as well as being part of four winning Great Britain...
. As Twell had a faster time that season, as well as higher youth achievement, she was selected over England.
At the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 7th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 12 and September 13, 2009. The competition represented the culmination of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, a selection of athletics meetings which began on September 20, 2008 at the...
, England qualified for 1500 metres as one of the top twelve athletes of the season. She finished second in the race, behind only Olympic Champion Nancy Jebet Lagat and beating among others reigning World Champion
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
Maryam Yusuf Jamal
Maryam Yusuf Jamal
Maryam Yusuf Jamal is a Bahraini middle distance runner.Born in Ethiopia, 2005 was her first full season. She gained the national record and ran the fastest 3000 m of 2005 with a time of 8:28.87 at a race in Oslo...
.
In 2010 England finished a strong second in the 1500m at the European Team Championships in Bergen, Norway and followed it up with a national AAA title, again at 1500m, to secure selection for the European Championships in Barcelona running a startling 56.7 last lap, albeit in a very slow race.
On 1 September 2011 at the IAAF World Athletics Championship, her first global championship meeting, competing in the 1500m final, Hannah produced a stunning final 100 metres, coming from 7th place at the final bend to take the Silver medal in a time of 4:05.68.
She is the daughter of Oxford geophysicist, Professor Philip England
Philip England
Philip Christopher England is an English geophysicist and whose research centres upon the evolution, deformation and metamorphism of mountain ranges and the development of island arcs...
Competition record
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | World Junior Championships 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Center in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China.... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
7th (heats) | 1500 m |
| 2008 | NCAA Indoor Championships NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship NCAA team champions for Women's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Indoor Track and Field Champions*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship... |
United States | 1st | Mile |
| NCAA Outdoor Championships NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship NCAA team champions for Women's Outdoor Track and Field-By school:-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Outdoor Track and Field Champions*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship... |
Iowa Iowa Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New... , United States |
1st | 1500 m | |
| 2009 | European Team Championships 2009 European Team Championships The first SPAR European Team Championships took place on 20 and 21 June 2009. The track and field athletics tournament run by European Athletics was the successor of the old European Cup competition which was held annually until 2008... |
Leiria Leiria Leiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000... , Portugal |
4th | 800 m |
| 4th | 1500 m | |||
| 2011 | World Championships in Athletics 2011 World Championships in Athletics The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011.... |
Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
2nd | 1500 m |
Personal bests
| Event | Time | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 metres 800 metres The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps... |
1:59.94 | Leiria Leiria Leiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000... , Portugal |
20 June 2009 |
| 1500 metres 1500 metres The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could... |
4:01.89 | Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... , Spain |
22 July 2011 |
| Mile run Mile run The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races... |
4:30.29i | Ghent Ghent Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of... , Belgium |
8 February 2009 |
| 3000 metres 3000 metres The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and... |
8:56.72i | Boston, United States | 6 February 2010 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
External links
- http://www.facebook.com/hannengland Official Facebook Fan Page
- Interview with Kelly HolmesKelly HolmesDame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
- "How Kelly Holmes helped me reach the top" Spikes Mag article