Helen Clitheroe

Helen Clitheroe
Personal information
Born (1974-01-02) 2 January 1974 (age 38)
United Kingdom Preston, Lancashire, UK
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight 57 kg (130 lb; 9.0 st)
Sport
Country  Great Britain
Club Preston Harriers
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 1500 m: 4:01.10
3000 m: 8:51.02
3000 m steeplechase: 9:29.14
5000 m: 15:06.75
10000 m: 31:45[1]
Medal record
Women’s athletics
Competitor for  Great Britain
European Indoor Championships
Gold 2011 Paris 3000 m
Commonwealth Games
Bronze 2002 Manchester 1500 m
Updated on 6-03-2011.

Helen Teresa Clitheroe (née Pattinson) (born 2 January 1974 in Preston, England) is a British middle- and long-distance runner coached by Trevor Painter.[2] She competed in the 1500 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and in the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[3] She was the 1500 m bronze medallist at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

She achieved the Olympic A qualifying standard for the 3000 m steeplechase at the Iberoamericano meeting, in Huelva on June 13, 2008, where she finished 8th in a time of 9:43.56.[4] Her place in the British team for the Games was confirmed when she won the British trials in a new national record time of 9:36.98.[5] At the Games she finished sixth in her heat and did not advance to the next round of competition, despite beating her own national record with a time of 9:29.14.[6] At the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final, in Stuttgart, Clitheroe placed 9th in the 3000 m steeplechase in a time of 9:39.72.[7]

She completed a spell of high-altitude training in Iten, Kenya and then came close to a 3000 m lifetime best at the Aviva International Match in January 2011, finishing with a stadium record run.[8][9] The May 2011 Great Manchester Run saw her produce a career best for the 10K as she completed a dominant performance to win the race in a time of 31:45 minutes.[10] She set herself a similar target at the European Cup 10000m in June 2011, but suffered in hot conditions and finished in fourth with a time of 32:11.29 minutes.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Great North Run 2011". http://www.greatrun.org/Results/default.aspx. Retrieved 2011-05-15. 
  2. ^ "Team GB > Beijing 2008 > Athlete profile > Helen Clitheroe". Website of the BOA. http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=836. Retrieved 2008-09-20. 
  3. ^ "Athlete Biography - Clitheroe, Helen". The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/2/224932.shtml. Retrieved 2008-09-20. 
  4. ^ "Tim Abeyie wins in Rabat, Helen Clitheroe attains Olympic standard in Huelva". Athletics Weekly. 2008-06-15. Archived from the original on 2008-08-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080802133409/http://www.athletics-weekly.com/newsarticle.php?id=568. Retrieved 2008-09-20. 
  5. ^ "Clitheroe qualifies for Beijing". BBC Sport. 2008-07-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/7505640.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-20. 
  6. ^ "Olympics 2008 - Day 1 Evening Session Report". UK Athletics. 2008-08-15. http://www.ukathletics.net/media/news/august-2008/15-08-08-day-1-pm-report/. Retrieved 2008-09-20. 
  7. ^ "Ohuruogu ready for Richards". sportinglife.com. http://www.sportinglife.com/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=others/08/09/13/ATHLETICS_Stuttgart_Nightlead.html. Retrieved 2008-09-20. 
  8. ^ Brown, Matthew (2011-01-29). Ennis sparkles in Glasgow. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-01-30.
  9. ^ Jessica Ennis starts season with hurdles win in Glasgow . BBC Sport (2011-01-29). Retrieved on 2011-01-30.
  10. ^ Wenig, Jorg (2011-05-15). Gebrselassie takes fourth Manchester 10Km victory, Clitheroe surprises. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-05-27.
  11. ^ Portugal double victory at the European Cup 10000m. European Athletics (2011-06-04). Retrieved on 2011-06-05.