Chris Rawlinson

After nearly 7 years at the top of world class hurdling, Chris decided to announce his retirement at the end of 2005. His 48.14 still remains the 3rd quickest time ever by a UK athlete and his regular Top 5 standing is testament to the quality he's displayed over the last five or six years.

After nearly 7 years at the top of world class hurdling, Chris decided to announce his retirement at the end of 2005. His 48.14 still remains the 3rd quickest time ever by a UK athlete and his regular Top 5 standing is testament to the quality he's displayed over the last five or six years. dfdsfdfdf

SPORT BIO

Chris burst onto the world scene during the 1999 world student games where he won gold in 48.88, the fifth fastest british time ever. he then ran a startling 48.14 to win the b race in zurich, this took him to 3^rd on the world list for the season but sadly an injury prevented him from competing in the 1999 seville world championships.

In 2000, chris had breakthrough wins in California and Milan. He then broke david hemery’s 28 year old uk best for 300 metre hurdles, running 34.59 in loughborough. At the olympic games in sydney however, chris inexplicably lost form and he ran 49.25 for 6^th place in his semi-final.

Chris started 2001 with a stress fracture which slowed his championship preparations, but he stormed back to top form by winning the AAA title. Expectations were high as he cruised to a season’s best of 48.27 to win his World Championship semi-final but he suffered disappointment in the final when he hit early barriers and eventually finished 5th.

Chris’s 2002 started well and he ran 48.49 in California, beating the long standing meeting record set by Ed moses. Back in Europe, he won in athens at the European Club Championships. At the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, chris became the only English athlete to win 2 gold medals in the 400mh and 4x400m.

In 2003 Chris’s early season preparations were once again disrupted by a recurrence of his knee problems, and it was originally thought his chances of making the world championships in paris were gone but a last ditch anti-inflammatory injection meant a return to form and fitness, as chris placed an excellent 6^th in the final.

In 2004, Chris enjoyed an uninterrupted winter and proved he was on target with victory over 400mh at in California. At the AAA’s trials in July Chris produced a comfortable victory to take his sixth senior title, and then again proved he’s one of Team GB’s best hopes for a medal with an excellent win at Crystal Palace. Soon after this, chris suffered a loss of weight and strength with a virus, which severely curtailed his final olympic preparations. In Athens he ran a comfortable heat and advanced to the semi’s but mistimed his run hitting the first hurdle and finishing at the back of the field.

Despite finishing the 2004 season overall 6^th Chris took some extended time away from the UK over the winter and completed his plans for the year with extended training stints in Australia and the US. He also announced his engagement to australian track and field star, Jana pittman.