Jennifer Brenda "Jenny" Meadows is a British athlete. Her main event is the 800 m, although she previously competed over the 400 m. Meadows also had some international success as part of the Great Britain 4 x 400 metres relay squad. She is the fourth-fastest British woman over 800 m, behind Kelly Holmes, Kirsty Wade and Lynsey Sharp. Meadows, along with other athletes such as Caster Semenya and Alysia Montano, has been noted in the press as one of a number of athletes who were repeatedly denied major international medals by doping competitors, particularly from Russia.
Early career
Schools championships
Meadows was the winner in the English Schools Junior Championships in 800 m 1995. In 1998, she was 3rd at the AAA Junior Indoor Championships over 400 m. She also made her junior international debut and finished second in the English Schools Championships.
GB team
In 2000, she ran the fastest leg for the Great British team at the World Junior Championships, helping to secure the gold medal. In 2001, she finished sixth at the European Under 23 Championships, and gained a gold medal on the 4 × 400 m relay.
Senior career
2008 Olympics
On 21 June 2008, in Annecy, Meadows achieved her first European Cup victory over 800 m. On 18 July 2008, Meadows improved her personal best in the 800 m to 1:59.11 at the Paris Golden League meeting. On 19 July 2008, her place in the Beijing 2008 Great Britain Olympic Team was confirmed along with Marilyn Okoro and Jemma Simpson. Meadows qualified for the semi-final of the 800 m in the Olympic Games after finishing 3rd in her heat with a time of 2.00.33, and in the semi itself ran close to her personal best in a time of 1.59.43, finishing in sixth place. Meadows had a successful indoor season during 2009 winning the UK Championships and European Indoor Trials, setting a new indoor personal best of 1.59.52 in the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix and finishing in fourth place in the European Indoor Championships in Turin, Italy.
2009 World Championships
On 27 July 2009, her place in the Great Britain Team for the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany, in August was confirmed, along with Jemma Simpson and Marilyn Okoro. On 28 July 2009, Meadows set a new outdoor personal best of 1.58.63 at the IAAF Super Grand Prix, Herculis, Monaco. On 19 August, Meadows took the bronze medal in the 800 m World Championship finals in a new personal best of 1.57.93. In a BBC interview after winning the bronze medal, Meadows commented: "It proves you should never say never, you should always believe in yourself. If you work hard and keep the faith, good things will happen."
Meadows started the season in great form and on 20 February 2010 broke the British indoor 800 m record, formerly held by Kelly Holmes, with a 1:59:11 in Birmingham. She won silver at the World Indoor Championships in Doha on 14 March 2010, setting a personal best and a new British indoor record of 1:58.43 which she previously set on 20 February 2010. At the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona Meadows won a bronze medal.
2011 National Championships
On 31 July 2011, at the age of 30, Jenny finally won her first national outdoor senior title with an 800m victory at the Aviva National Championships in Birmingham, to become National Champion.
Meadows won three of the seven Diamond League 800 metres races in 2011 – in Shanghai, Birmingham and London – to win the overall Diamond League 800 m title. Each overall winner earned an additional $40,000 in prize money.
2013
Meadows was awarded the captaincy of the Great Britain team at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg.
2014
Meadows returned to competition at the start of 2014, running the indoor season and then taking part in her first outdoor season since 2011. She steadily improved performances and on 16 June 2014 Jenny's place in the England Team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was announced. At the British National Championships on 30 June Jenny secured a Bronze medal. At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow Jenny finished in sixth place.
Meadows was head athletics coach for Manchester City Council. She has appeared on the BBC's A Question of Sport in Matt Dawson's team on 13 March 2010, and on the BBC's Mastermind in December 2011, in which her specialist subject was Wigan Warriors. After retirement, Meadows joined the BBC team covering athletics at the 2016 Olympics.
