Lee McConnell

Lee McConnell

Lee McConnell in Osaka 2007
Personal information
Born	(1978-10-09) 9 October 1978 Glasgow, Scotland[1]
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Weight	64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
Country	Great Britain  Scotland
Club	Shaftesbury Barnett
Turned pro	2000
Retired	2014[1]
Achievements and titles
World finals	2003 – 7th
Highest world ranking	8th (2002)
Personal best(s)	100 m 11.67 200 m 23.16 400 m 50.86 HJ 1.88 m
Medal record Competitor for  Great Britain Women's athletics World Championships Bronze 2005 Helsinki 4x400 m relay Bronze 2007 Osaka 4x400 m relay European Championships Bronze 2002 Munich 400 m Bronze 2010 Barcelona 4x400 m relay European Indoor Championships Silver 2011 Paris 4x400 m relay Bronze 2005 Madrid 4x400 m relay Commonwealth Games Silver 2002 Manchester 400 m Bronze 2006 Melbourne 400 m Hurdles

Lee McConnell (born 9 October 1978) is a retired Scottish athlete, who competed in the 400 metres. She attended Holyrood R.C. Secondary School in Glasgow before graduating from Loughborough University in 2000 with a degree in Sports Science. She became the Scottish 200 metres champion in 2002, and 2005. She also won the 400 metres in 2001. On top of this she won the AAAs 400 metres championship in 2002 and an individual bronze medal at the 2002 European championships, then added a Commonwealth silver in the 400 in that same season.

In 2003 she came 2nd in the European cup 400 metres and 2nd in the 4 x 400 metres relay. In addition to winning medals in individual contests, she has been a fairly successful relay runner. Her personal best time over 400 m is 50.82 seconds.

McConnell was originally a high jumper, before turning to her current event and then 400-metre hurdles. After the 2007 season, McConnell decided to give up hurdling, as her transition from the flat had not been as successful as she had intended, and she has therefore returned her focus to the 400 m flat.

McConnell has been known for participating in the relay team for Great Britain at major events. In 2001 she ran the 1st leg of the relay team. Helen Frost, Tasha Danvers-Smith and Catherine Murphy made up the rest of the team, which finished 5th. At the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, McConnell ran the first leg of the women's 4 x 400 m relay. The team, composed of Jennifer Meadows, Catherine Murphy and Tasha Danvers-Smith finished 6th. Two years later at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics she ran the first leg of the relay, and won the bronze medal along with Donna Fraser, Nicola Sanders and Christine Ohuruogu. In 2007, she won another bronze medal in the same event, along with Ohuruogu, Marilyn Okoro and Sanders, this time running the third leg.

McConnell missed the 2013 season after becoming pregnant with her first child.^[2] She returned to training nine weeks after giving birth to her son with a view to competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in her hometown of Glasgow – however she announced her immediate retirement from athletics in April 2014.^[1]

Major achievements

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lee McConnell.

• Lee McConnell profile at IAAF
• http://www.mtc-uk.com/talent/lee-mcconnell/