Michelle Jenneke makes big announcement about her athletics career after horror injury ruined her Olympic Games
- Hurdler’s Paris dream was ruined by a torn hamstring
- A huge setback put her career at risk
Australian track and field star Michelle Jenneke has dismissed doubts about her career by posting an uplifting video proving she is making a miraculous comeback from the serious injury that ruined her Paris Olympics campaign.
The 31-year-old bravely soldiered on after tearing a hamstring tendon during her 100m hurdles heat in August. She took part in the repechage despite the injury that caused her to take a huge fall when she hit an obstacle.
Torn hamstrings can take up to six months to heal enough for a return to normal activities, leading to fears that Jenneke’s fans had seen her last on the track – but she proved otherwise this week.
The two-time Olympian posted videos on to be gone… Very happy to report. I achieved that goal just in time on December 30!’
In a post three weeks ago, she revealed she was back running for the first time in 14 weeks.
Her cheerful words were out of proportion to the emotional statement she made after the disaster in Paris.
Pictured: The moment many fans thought Michelle Jenneke’s career had ended when she tore her hamstring and took a shocking fall at the Paris Olympics
Jenneke was unable to run for fourteen weeks after the shocking blow at the Stade de France
“Not the Olympics I dreamed they would be,” Jenneke posted.
‘I felt ready to run the race of my life, but unfortunately the heat completely tore one of my hamstring tendons, causing me to hit an obstacle and take a big fall.
‘I was lucky to escape the fall without hurting myself further and I’m extremely proud that I showed up [today] against the odds to complete my Olympic campaign.
“It was about not giving up and leaving no stone unturned. I gave it my all and am honored to now call myself a two-time Olympian.”
Fans assumed the worst and paid tribute to Jenneke’s career on social media.
“You were an inspiration, a role model and someone Australia should be proud of when it comes to representation [the nation] on the world stage,” said one supporter on Instagram.
Another wrote: ‘You always competed with a smile on your face and your positive vibes [will] to be victorious…that alone is worth it and people will remember you for that.”
A third commented on X: ‘You’ve made a nation proud! Thank you for all your sacrifices.”
The 31-year-old is making a miraculous comeback that is way ahead of schedule
The Aussie – who became a global sensation for her dance moves behind the starting blocks while competing at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona – managed to peak in France despite her injury.
She won many admirers at the Stade de France when she consoled Slovakia’s Viktoria Forster after the repechage round, as both athletes failed to progress.
As the Australian Olympians returned home from the Games with a whopping 18 gold medals, Jenneke’s fellow athlete Genevieve Cowie and her husband were among the crowds waiting at Sydney airport on Tuesday.
One of their signs, which read “I hope you had a nice trip,” was a risqué prank that drew a cheeky response from the hurdler on social media.
“I have the best friends,” she posted on her Instagram story, accompanied by a laughing emoji.