Jenny Meadows

2010 was a mixed year for me – it was fantastic to win a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Doha, but then I picked up an injury midway through the outdoor season and I really wasn't fit for the European Championships in Barcelona. But I still won a medal which was another learning curve for me, realising I can still get a medal even if I'm not 100% fit. It was my second year of being world-class which also showed me that winning bronze at the World Championships in 2009 wasn't a fluke. These last two years I've gone from never winning a medal, even at junior level, to consistently being in the top three-five world rankings and picking up medals at every championship. Hopefully that can continue at London 2012. I just need to build on that consistency and squeeze a bit more out of myself so I move up to that next level where I'm a gold medal contender and not just a potential medallist. This year I'm concentrating on the World Championships in Daegu – it's definitely a dress rehearsal for next year. I'll go to a few Diamond League fixtures as well – two years ago I found it really hard to get invitations to those meets, now I seem to be able to race wherever I want. It's a good indication of how I've progressed. Honours 2009 World ch'ships, bronze medal 800m 2010 European ch'ship, bronze 800m; world indoor ch'ships, silver 800m 2011 European indoors, silver 800m, silver 4x400m 2009 outdoor world ranking 6th; 2010 14th PB 1min 57.93secs Main rivals in 2012 Caster Semenya SA World champion PB 1:55.45 Alyssia Johnsson US World No1 in 2010 PB 1:57.34 Biography Born 17 April 1981 in Wigan Educated The Deanery high school, Wigan Favourite film The Shawshank Redemption Favourite book Marley and Me. Because I studied English at university I was used to reading 700-page novels in a week, but that book was so upsetting it took me months to read Favourite band U2, because of Trevor [Painter, husband and coach] making me listen to them If I hadn't been an athlete ... I would have been an English teacher - definitely not a PE teacher, all that netball and hockey, too much of a stereotype Training Training-wise I've got most things covered and I know what I'll be doing for the next two years. I made a big change in my strength and conditioning work over the winter which is already having an effect – it's definitely got my 400m speed back and I was really pleased to run in the 4x400m relay in Paris. Over the years my endurance has improved but it's great to get the speed back, and now I just need to keep the combination of both of those Olympic countdown May 2011 Diamond League, Shanghai Jun 2011 Diamond Lge, Oslo Jul 2011 Diamond Lge, Birmingham; UK Trials August 2011 Diamond League, London Aug-Sep 2011 World Ch'ships, South Korea Mar 2012 World Indoor Championships, Turkey June 2012 UK Olympic trials