Lee McConnell

Lee McConnell (born 9 October 1978) is a retired Scottish athlete, who competed in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles having started her career as a high jumper. She is a three-time Olympian who represented Great Britain in 2004, 2008 and 2012. With 12 medals from major championships, McConnell is the third most decorated Scottish track and field athlete of all-time (after Eilidh Doyle with 19 medals and Laura Muir with 13).[3][4] She was voted Scottish Athlete of the Year in 2002, 2003 and 2007.[5]

Lee McConnell
Lee McConnell in Osaka 2007
Personal information
Born (1978-10-09) 9 October 1978
Glasgow, Scotland[1]
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Weight64 kg (141 lb; 10 st 1 lb)
Sport
Country Great Britain
 Scotland
SportWomen's track and field
Event(s)400 m, 400 m hurdles, 4 x 400 m
ClubShaftesbury Barnet Harriers
Turned pro2000
Retired2014[1]
Achievements and titles
World finals2003 – 7th
Highest world ranking8th (2002)
Personal best(s)100 m 11.67 (2009)
200 m 23.16 (2008)
400 m 50.82 (2002)
400 m h 55.25 (2006)
HJ 1.88 m (2000)
Medal record
Women's athletics[2]
Representing  Great Britain
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2005 Helsinki4x400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2007 Osaka4x400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2009 Berlin 4x400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2011 Daegu 4x400 m relay
World Indoor Championships
Bronze medal – third place2010 Doha4x400 m relay
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place2002 Munich400 m
Silver medal – second place2010 Barcelona4x400 m relay
European Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place2011 Paris4x400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2005 Madrid4x400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2007 Birmingham4x400 m relay
Universiade
Silver medal – second place2001 Beijing4x400 m relay
Representing  Scotland
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place2002 Manchester400 m
Bronze medal – third place2006 Melbourne400 m Hurdles

McConnell is a four-time World Championship bronze medallist in the 4 x 400 metres relay in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, with the 2007 team setting the British record of 3:20.04.[6][7] Her individual honours include winning a 2002 Commonwealth silver at 400 metres, 2002 European Championship bronze at 400 metres, and 2006 Commonwealth bronze at 400 metres hurdles.

Career

Lee McConnell attended Holyrood R.C. Secondary School in Glasgow before graduating from Loughborough University in 2000 with a degree in Sports Science.

Originally a high jump (becoming Scottish champion in 1998, 1999 and 2000),[8] before turning to the 400 m and then the 400 metres hurdles (winning Commonwealth Bronze in a PB time).[9]

She was the Scottish 200 metres champion in 2002, and 2005. She also won the 400 m in 2001, and the 400 m at the AAA Championships in 2002.[9]

Internationally, in 2002, McConnell won a bronze medal at the 2002 European championships in the 400 m, then added a Commonwealth Games silver in the 400 m. In 2003 at the European Cup, McConnell came second in both the 400 m and the 4 × 400 m relay. She went to finish fifth in the 400 m final at the 2003 World Championships.

Her personal best time over 400 m is 50.82 seconds.[10]

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 returned to the 400 m flat.[9] She broke the stadium record in the 400 m at the 2008 FBK Games, producing her fastest season opener.[11]

At domestic level, McConnell later won the British 400 m title in 2008 and 2010, the British Inter-Counties 200 metres title in 2009,[9] and two more Scottish 200 m titles (outdoor again in 2011 and indoor in 2013).[12]

In 2018, McConnell was one of fifteen athletes inducted in to the Scottish Athletics Hall of Fame.[13][14]

Relays

In addition to winning medals in individual contests, she has been a fairly successful relay runner. McConnell was known for participating in the Great Britain 4 × 400 m relay team at major events.

McConnell won bronze medals in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2005 and 2007 World Championships. She ran the first leg in a team with Donna Fraser, Nicola Sanders and Christine Ohuruogu in 2005 and ran the third leg in team with Ohuruogu, Marilyn Okoro and Sanders in 2007, which a set a national record.[6]

In addition at the World Championships, she ran the first leg for the 4 × 400 m relay teams that finished fifth in 2001, sixth in 2003, and fourth in 2009, also running fourth leg for the team that finished fourth in 2011.

McConnell alongside Fraser, Catherine Murphy, and Ohuruogu finished fourth in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2004 Olympics, but could inherit bronze medals from this event as American athlete Crystal Cox was later found guilty of doping offences.[15] Cox and not the US team had her medal revoked but that could still change.[16]

At the 2012 Olympics, she ran the second leg as Great Britain finished fifth in the 4 × 400 m relay.

She has also accumulated relay medals from the 4 × 400 m event from the Universiade Games (in 2001), the European Championships (in 2002 and 2010) and the European Indoor Championships (in 2005, 2007 and 2011).

For Scotland, McConnell ran in the 4 × 400 m relay at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and 2010 (where a national record was set).

Retirement

McConnell missed the 2013 season after becoming pregnant with her first child.[17] 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]

International competitions

[9][18]

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing the  Great Britain and  Scotland
1999 European U23 Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 12th High jump 1.82 m
2001 Summer Universiade Beijing, China 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:30.40
2002 Commonwealth Games Manchester, England 2nd 400 m 51.68
4th 4 x 400 m relay 3:31.50
European Championships Munich, Germany 3rd 400 m 51.02
4th 4 x 400 m relay 3:26.65
2003 World Championships Paris, France 7th 400 m 51.07
6th 4 x 400 m relay 3:26.67
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 23rd (sf) 400 m 52.63
4th 4 x 400 m relay 3:25.12
2005 European Indoor Championships Madrid, Spain 3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:29.81
World Championships Helsinki, Finland 12th (sf) 400 m 51.15
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:24.44
2006 Commonwealth Games Melbourne, Australia 3rd 400 m hurdles 55.25
European Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 9th (sf) 400 m hurdles 55.61
4th 4 x 400 m relay 3:28.17
European Cup Super League Malaga, Spain 3rd 4 x 400 m relay 3:26.98
2007 European Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:28.69
World Championships Osaka, Japan 14th (sf) 400 m 51.07
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:20.04
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 19th (sf) 400 m 52.11
2009 European Team Championships Leiria, Portugal 4th 400 m 51.92
3rd 4 x 400 m 3:29.29
World Championships Berlin, Germany 4th 4 x 400 m relay 3:25.16
2010 European Championships Barcelona, Spain 12th (h) 400 m 53.15
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:24.32
Commonwealth Games Delhi, India 5th 200 m 23.68
4th 400 m 52.36
4th 4 x 400 m relay 3:30.91
2011 European Indoor Championships Paris, France 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:31.36
European Team Championships Stockholm, Sweden 2nd 4 x 400 m relay 3:27.27
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 18th (sf) 400 m 52.24
5th 4 x 400 m relay 3:24.76
(h) = overall position in preliminary heats (sf) = overall position in semifinals

Personal life

McConnell is a rugby union fan, and is supporter of the Glasgow Warriors and the Scotland national team.[19]

References
  1. "Glasgow 2014: 400m runner Lee McConnell announces retirement". bbc.co.uk. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  2. "Stats". LeeMcConnell.net. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  3. "SCOTTISH ATHLETICS ROLL OF HONOUR" (PDF). Scottish Athletics. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  4. "Home". LeeMcConnell.net. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
    "'It's a nice little collection' – Eilidh". Scottish Athletics. 6 October 2015. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  5. "Competition (Awards)". SCOT STATS. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  6. "British relay team smash record to take bronze". The Telegraph. 2 September 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  7. "Records (Scottish Outdoor)". SATS. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  8. "Scottish Championships (1969-2013 Women's Field)". SATS. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  9. "Lee McConnell profile". Power of 10. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  10. "Larry to get back on track". Bucks Free Press. 8 January 2003. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  11. "McConnell quick off the mark to break stadium record". Herald Scotland. 26 May 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  12. "Scottish Indoor Championships (Women)". SATS. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  13. "Award-winning Laura Muir ready for the next chapter". Athletics Weekly. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  14. "Our Hall of Fame inductees savour the moment". Scottish Athletics. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  15. "Helen Karagounis". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  16. "Crystal Cox stripped of 2004 gold". ESPN. 21 July 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  17. "Pregnant Lee McConnell targets Glasgow Commonwealth Games". bbc.co.uk. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  18. "International (Major Championships)". SATS. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  19. "Lee McConnell: I can't wait to watch Glasgow Warriors over Christmas - I love rugby". Daily Record. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
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