Denise Lewis facts for kids
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| Born | 27 August 1972 West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country |  Great Britain |
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| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Heptathlon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Birchfield Harriers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Charles van Commenee, Darrell Bunn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 6,831 pts (2000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dame Denise Lewis is a famous British athlete. She was born on August 27, 1972. Denise was a specialist in the heptathlon. This is a tough athletics event with seven different challenges.
Denise won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. She also won the Commonwealth Games twice. In 1998, she became the European Champion. She also earned silver medals at the World Championships in 1997 and 1999. Denise was the first European woman to win the Olympic heptathlon.
Her best score in the heptathlon was 6,831 points. She set this record in 2000. This was a British record for a while. She is considered one of Britain's best female multi-event athletes.
After she stopped competing, Denise started working in television. She became a sports presenter and expert for BBC Television. She covered many Olympic Games, including London 2012 and Paris 2024. She also became the president of Commonwealth Games England. Since 2023, she has been the president of UK Athletics. This is the main group for athletics in the UK.
Contents
Denise Lewis's Early Career Success
Denise Lewis started her senior career in the heptathlon with great results. In 1994, she won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. Two years later, she earned a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics.
She continued to shine, winning a silver medal at the 1997 World Championships. In 1998, she won two gold medals. These were at the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships. She then won another silver medal at the 1999 World Championships.
Winning Gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
The 2000 Sydney Olympics were a huge moment for Denise. The heptathlon competition started on September 23. In the first event, the 100 metres hurdles, Denise ran 13.23 seconds. She was in second place.
After the high jump, Denise was in eighth place. She was 152 points behind the leader. But she didn't give up. In the shot put, she threw 15.55m. This moved her up to second place. By the end of the first day, Denise was in third place overall.
On the second day, the first event was the long jump. Denise had a good jump of 6.48m. Then came the javelin. Denise threw 50.19m. This amazing throw put her in first place! Her closest rivals were now behind her.
The final event was the 800 metres. Denise had an injury in her left leg. She ran with a bandage. Her goal was to stay close to the leaders. When she crossed the finish line, it was very close. Everyone waited for the final scores. Finally, it was announced that Denise Lewis had won the gold medal! She scored 6,584 points. It was a truly exciting victory.
Challenges at the 2004 Olympics
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Denise faced many injuries. Sadly, she had to pull out of the competition. This happened after the long jump event. Her teammate, Kelly Sotherton, went on to win a bronze medal.
Denise Lewis's Achievements and Awards
Denise Lewis has received many important awards. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1999. Then she became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2001. In 2023, she received the highest honor, becoming a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
She also received the Freedom of the City of Wolverhampton in 2000. A sports hall at her old school was even named after her. In 2011, she was added to the England Athletics Hall of Fame.
Denise is known as one of the "golden girls" of British athletics. She was runner-up for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award twice. The Sports Journalists' Association (SJA) voted her "Sportswoman of the Year" three times. The British Athletics Writers' Association (BAWA) named her "Female Athlete of the Year" four times. She also won the Sunday Times "Sportswoman of the Year" award three times.
In 2015, Denise received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards. Her British record in the heptathlon, 6831 points, was set in 2000.
Denise Lewis's TV Career
After retiring from athletics, Denise became a popular TV personality.
Sports Pundit and Presenter
Since 2009, Denise has been a sports expert for BBC Sport. She gives her opinions on athletics events. She has covered major events like the World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games.
She has also presented other TV shows. In 2015 and 2016, she co-hosted Right on the Money on BBC One. She also hosted Camp Orange, a children's reality show. Denise also presents Secret Britain, which explores hidden parts of the British countryside.
Strictly Come Dancing Appearances
In 2004, Denise took part in the dancing show Strictly Come Dancing. She danced with professional dancer Ian Waite. They did very well and reached the final. She finished as the runner-up.
Denise also competed in a "Champion of Champions Special" of Strictly Come Dancing. She appeared again on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special in 2016.
Other TV Guest Appearances
Denise has appeared on many other TV shows. These include:
- Let's Dance for Comic Relief (2009)
- All Star Family Fortunes (2009)
- Pointless (2011)
- The Cube (2012)
- Your Face Sounds Familiar (2013)
- Big Star's Little Star with her son (2014)
- The Chase: Celebrity Special (2017)
- Would I Lie to You? (2018)
- The Masked Dancer (2022) as "Sea Slug"
Denise Lewis's Personal Life
Denise Lewis was born in West Bromwich. Her parents were from Jamaica. She grew up in Pendeford, Wolverhampton. She went to the Regis School in Tettenhall.
Denise has a daughter from a previous relationship. In 2006, she married Steve Finan O'Connor. He used to manage the pop group All Saints. They have three sons together.
Images for kids
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Denise Lewis, a British Olympic gold medalist in heptathlon.
See also
In Spanish: Denise Lewis para niños
- List of Olympic medalists in athletics (women)
- List of World Athletics Championships medalists (women)
- List of Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics (women)
- List of European Athletics Championships medalists (women)
- List of 1996 Summer Olympics medal winners
- List of 2000 Summer Olympics medal winners
- List of high jump national champions (women)
- List of people from Wolverhampton
- British African-Caribbean people
- Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the World Athletics Championships
- List of celebrities appearing on Daily Cooks Challenge
