Melissa Courtney

Melissa Courtney
Personal information
Nationality British
Born (1993-08-30) 30 August 1993
Poole
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Weight 53 kg (117 lb)[2]
Sport
Country Wales
Sport Athletics
Event(s) 1500 metres
Club Poole Athletic Club
Coached by Rob Denmark
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)

800 m: 2:04.03 (2017)
1500 m: 4:03.44 (2018) 3000 m: 8:39.20 (2018)

5000 m: 15:04.75 (2018)
Medal record
Representing  Wales
Women's athletics
Commonwealth Games
2018 Gold Coast1500 m

Melissa Courtney (born 30 August 1993) is a Welsh middle-distance runner who mostly competes in the 1500 metres. She holds a personal best of 4:03.44 minutes for the event.[3]

Born in Poole, Dorset, she initially focused on swimming, but switched to running . She joined Poole Athletic Club (Poole AC) and worked under coach Mark Pauley from the age of twelve, as well as her father Mark as more runners joined the club. She credits her partner and fellow athlete, Ashley Bryant, which encouraging her to up her performance after a period of stagnation. After graduating from Brunel University London with a degree in sports psychology, she moved to train at Loughborough in 2017 to work with Rob Denmark.[4][2][5]

Courtney made big improvements to her 800 m and 1500 m bests in 2013 and won the latter event at the BUCS Championships indoor and out that year. In the 2014 indoor season she won the Welsh indoor title and placed third at the 2014 British Indoor Athletics Championships. The 2015 season saw her drop her 800 m and 1500 m bests to 2:05.48 and 4:09.74 minutes and she made her international debut at the 2015 European Athletics U23 Championships, placing tenth in the 1500 m. Though she placed seventh nationally at the 2016 British Athletics Championships, she ran a best of 4:07.55 minutes and gained selection for the 2016 European Athletics Championships, competing in the first round only.[6] She teamed up with Cameron Boyek, Sarah McDonald, and Tom Marshall to take a gold medal in the inaugural mixed relay event at the 2017 European Cross Country Championships.[7]

After winning the 1500 m British Universities title in the 1500 m, she represented Great Britain at the 2017 Universiade and placed fifth in the final.[6] The winter, she travelled to train in Iten in Kenya.[8] Courtney was chosen to represent Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and she came away with the bronze medal in a personal best time of 4:03.44 minutes, beaten only by Caster Semenya and Beatrice Chepkoech.[9]

Personal bests

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2015 European U23 Championships Tallinn, Estonia 10th 1500 m 4:17.49
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 18th (h) 1500 m 4:18.74
2017 Universiade Taipei, Taiwan 5th 1500 m 4:21.14
European Cross Country Championships Šamorín, Slovakia 1st Mixed relay 18:24
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 3rd 1500 m 4:03.44
9th 5000 m 15:46.60
European Championships Berlin, Germany 5th 5000 m 15:04.75

References

  1. ↑ Melissa Courtney. European Athletics. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  2. 1 2 Melissa Courtney. GC2018. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  3. ↑ Melissa Courtney. IAAF. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  4. ↑ Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Weekly Newsletter Thursday 9 February 2017. Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  5. ↑ Payne, Ned (2016-07-08). Athletics: Student Melissa Courtney sets heart on European Championships final... and deadline extension. Bournemouth Daily Echo. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  6. 1 2 Melissa Courtney. Power of 10. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  7. ↑ Senior Mixed relay. European Athletics. Retrieved on 2017-12-15.
  8. ↑ The simple life in Kenya| Melissa Courtney. EightLane (2018-01-12). Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  9. ↑ Commonwealth Games: Caster Semenya wins 1500m gold, Melissa Courtney third. BBC Sport (2018-04-10). Retrieved 2018-04-11.
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