John James Jackson (born 11 April 1977) is a former British

bobsleigh Bobsleigh or bobsled is a team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Feder ...

er and

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

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Career

He took up bobsleighing at the age of 28 and in September 2005 he trialled at the

University of Bath (Virgil, Georgics II) , mottoeng = Learn the culture proper to each after its kind , established = 1886 (Merchant Venturers Technical College) 1960 (Bristol College of Science and Technology) 1966 (Bath University of Technology) 1971 (univ ...

and won a place in the Europa Cup Team. Just 4 months later he was selected to compete as a driver in the Europa Cup team. After his first successful season, he made his world cup debut as a driver in 2007. He became the British Champion in 2008. In 2011 John won gold and two bronze medals in the Europa Cup in St Moritz and was the first British man to ever do this. Thereafter, Jackson had a meteoric rise through the ranks that meant he was given the nod as the main British driver. Jackson's (now) wife Paula Jackson was also involved in the

sport until her retirement from the sport in 2015. She too was recruited while serving in the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...

, in her instance with the Royal Signals. Paula has admitted several times the huge support that she gets from her family and John Jackson. In June 2014 the couple announced that they were expecting their first child together. Jackson has three daughters from a previous relationship. In January 2014 Jackson led team-mates

Joel Fearon Joel Fearon (born 11 October 1988) is a British sprinter and bobsledder. He represents the Birchfield Harriers and he is recognisable in the National Trials for wearing a black vest and lycra shorts. His coach is Michael Khmel, who also coache ...

Stuart Benson Stuart Benson (born 12 February 1981) is a former bobsledder who competed for Team GB, and an avionics technician in the Royal Air Force. His competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi in the four-man bobsleigh, competing with John James ...

and

Bruce Tasker Bruce Tasker (born 2 September 1987) is a British former bobsledder and track athlete. He qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics in the 4-man discipline. Life and career Tasker was born in 1987 in Lawrenny, Wales. When young, Tasker was a talen ...

to a silver medal in the four-man event at the

Bobsleigh European Championship The European Bobsleigh and Skeleton Championships is the main bobsleigh and skeleton championships in Europe. Bobsleigh Two-man Medal table Four-man Medal table Two-woman Medal table Women's Monobob Medal table Skeleton ...

. He competed at the

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

and

2014 Winter Olympics , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympic ...

, guiding his crew to fifth place in the four-man event in 2014, 0.11 seconds off a bronze medal after recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. In 2017, the British team were upgraded to the bronze medal position after two Russian crews were disqualified for doping violations. Jackson also competed at seven

FIBT World Championships The IBSF World Championships (known as the FIBT World Championships until 2015), part of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, have taken place on an annual basis since 1930. Starting with 2002, championships of non-Winter Olympi ...

, finishing fifth in the four-man event in the 2013 Worlds at St. Moritz. He took a second place in the four-man competition at the Lake Placid round of the 2013–14 Bobsleigh World Cup, the first podium finish for a British crew for many years. Jackson announced his retirement from the sport in June 2016.

Military service

Jackson joined the

in 1996. He is currently a Physical Training Instructor (PTI) and holds the rank of Colour Sergeant.

Achievements

British Champion: 2008

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

: * 9th in 2007 (4 man crew) * 13th in 2008 (4 man crew) * 22nd in 2009 (2 man crew) * 17th in 2009 (4 man crew) * 20th in

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

(2 man crew) * 10th in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

(4 man crew) * 19th in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

(2 man crew) * 5th in

(4 man crew)

Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...

: *3rd in 2014 (4 man crew) John Jackson also achieved: * 2006 Navy Novice Champion * 2005 Army Novice Champion * 2005 European Novice Push Championships: Bronze Medallist

References

External links

* * * * * http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/royal-marines/corporal-john-jackson/ * http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/winter_sports/9164897.stm * http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/26022011/58/machata-leads-halfway-stage.html * http://www.bobteamgb.org/menathletes/a/53/ * http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/sport/8865548.WORLD_CHAMPIONSHIPS__Wiltshire_competitors_help_GB_to_fourth/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, John James 1977 births Bobsledders at the 2010 Winter Olympics Bobsledders at the 2014 Winter Olympics British male bobsledders Living people Olympic bobsledders for Great Britain Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain Olympic medalists in bobsleigh Royal Marines ranks Sportspeople from Bishop Auckland