Jeanette Kwakye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jeanette Kwakye
MBE

Personal information
Born	(1983-03-20) 20 March 1983 (age 42) London Borough of Waltham Forest, England
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Weight	61 kg (134 lb)
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Club	Woodford Green with Essex Ladies
Turned pro	2005
Retired	2014
Achievements and titles
World finals	2008 Indoor – 2nd
Olympic finals	2008 – 6th
Highest world ranking	60 m: 2 (2008) 100 m: 9 (2008) 200 m: 45 (2007)
Personal best(s)	60 m 7.08 100 m 11.14 200 m 23.11
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Women's athletics World Indoor Championships Silver 2008 Valencia 60 m
Updated on 17 August 2008.

Jeanette Boahemaa Kwakye, born on March 20, 1983, is a British broadcaster and a former professional sprinter. She was awarded the MBE for her services to sport and broadcasting.

Jeanette Kwakye's Athletics Career

Jeanette Kwakye was a talented sprinter who competed for Great Britain. She won a bronze medal in the 4x100 metres relay at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics. Her teammates were Jade Lucas-Read, Amy Spencer, and Vernicha James.

At the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships, she finished fourth in the 60 metres race. In the semi-final, she ran a very fast time of 7.17 seconds. This was the quickest time by a British woman in the 60m since 1986.

Becoming a British Champion

In 2007, Jeanette Kwakye became the British Champion in the 100m race. She won with a time of 11.59 seconds, beating Laura Turner and Joice Maduaka. The very next day, she also won the 200m title. She finished ahead of Emily Freeman and Donna Fraser in that race.

Setting New Records

At the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, Jeanette Kwakye performed amazingly. She first matched the British 60m record of 7.13 seconds. Then, she broke it by running 7.08 seconds to win a silver medal. She finished just behind Angela Williams from the USA. This great performance made Kwakye the second-ranked female sprinter in the world for the 60m in 2008.

On July 12, 2008, Kwakye successfully defended her British 100m title. She also won the Olympic trials, which meant she was automatically chosen for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Her time of 11.26 seconds was her best performance at that point.

Representing  England

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time
2012	European Athletics Championships	Helsinki, Finland	29th	100 m	11.98
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	13th	100 m	11.48
			12th	4 × 100 metres relay	43.95
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	6th	100 m	11.14
			8th	4 × 100 metres relay	DNF
	World Indoor Championships	Valencia, Spain	2nd	60 m	7.08
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	22nd	100 m	11.40
	European Indoor Championships	Birmingham, England	4th	60 m	7.20
2005	European Athletics U23 Championships	Erfurt, Germany	8th	100 m	DNS
	European Athletics Indoor Championships	Madrid, Spain	13th	60 m	7.34
2003	Summer Universiade	Daegu, South Korea	11th	100 m	11.85
	European Athletics U23 Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	7th	100 m	11.62
			6th	4 x 100 meters relay	44.87
2002	World Junior Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	9th	100 m	11.75
			3rd	4 × 100 metres relay	44.22

2008 Summer Olympics Performance

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Jeanette Kwakye made history. In the 100 metres heats, she finished second, moving on to the next round. She then qualified for the semi-final by finishing third in her quarter-final race.

On August 17, 2008, Kwakye finished third in her semi-final with a time of 11.19 seconds. This made her the first British woman to reach the 100 metres final since Heather Oakes in 1984. She was also the only European athlete in that final race. In the final, she ran her personal best time of 11.14 seconds, finishing in sixth place.

Great Britain's 4x100 metres relay team, including Kwakye, reached the final. They were expected to win a medal. Kwakye ran a strong first leg, but the team unfortunately did not finish the race. There was a mistake during the changeover between Montell Douglas and Emily Freeman.

Dealing with Injuries

After the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Jeanette Kwakye faced challenges with injuries. She suffered from problems with her Achilles tendon and knee. These injuries caused her to miss the entire 2010 athletics season.

She returned to competition in 2011 and once again became the British 100m champion. Kwakye reached the semi-final of the Women's 100m at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea. In 2012, she won the British 60m Indoor title. However, injuries prevented her from qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games. She did not compete at all in 2013.

Jeanette Kwakye officially announced her retirement from competitive sprinting in January 2014.

Jeanette Kwakye's Personal Life

Jeanette Kwakye's parents were both born in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. Her family moved to England in the early 1980s. Her younger brother, Louis, is also involved in national athletics. Her younger sister, Chelsea, is a writer and co-authored a book called Taking Up Space.

Kwakye studied at Loughborough University, where she earned a degree in Politics and Economics. She is also good friends with the singer Estelle.

Jeanette Kwakye worked as the lead trainer for the 2012 British film Fast Girls. She trained actors Lily James and Lenora Crichlow for their roles as athletes. She also appeared in the 2012 documentary film "Personal Best".

In October 2016, Jeanette was part of a group that took over the English football team Dagenham & Redbridge. In 2017, she wrote and published a children's book called Femi the Fox.

Jeanette Kwakye's Broadcasting Career

After retiring from athletics, Jeanette Kwakye began a new career in broadcasting. She studied for a journalism qualification and started working for BBC Radio Berkshire. In 2014, she joined the sports team at BBC Radio London.

Kwakye is now a regular host for BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. She also fills in as a presenter for 5 Live Sport. She is a frequent guest on Ian Wright's podcast, Wrighty's House.

Jeanette Kwakye has presented many sports programmes for BBC Sport. These include the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, the World swimming championships in 2019, and the World athletics championships in 2019. She also presents The Women's Football Show and has reported for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. She is currently the BBC's athletics trackside reporter.

She used to host a weekly show called The Women's Sport Show on BBC Radio London. In December 2020, Kwakye was announced as the main presenter for Channel 5's boxing coverage. On October 31, 2023, she joined ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show as a co-presenter. She also presented BBC coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

Kwakye enjoys writing and has had her work published in The Guardian, the Daily Mirror, and for BT Sport. She also works for the Youth Sport Trust as an Athlete Mentor. This is part of the Sky Sports Changing Lives program. From 2013 to 2019, she was a reporter for the Sky Sports children's TV Show Game Changers.

Jeanette Kwakye was honored with the MBE in the 2021 Birthday Honours. This award recognized her important contributions to both sport and sports broadcasting.

Jeanette Kwakye's Best Times

Updated April 26, 2009

See also

In Spanish: Jeanette Kwakye para niños

• List of British champions in 100 metres
• List of British champions in 200 metres