Lesley-Ann Skeete (born 20 February 1967) is a female

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

former

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete who competed in the

100 metres hurdles The 100 metres hurdles, or 100-meter hurdles, is a track and field event run mainly by women (the male counterpart is the 110 metres hurdles). For the race, ten hurdles of a height of are placed along a straight course of . The first hurdle is ...

. She represented

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at the 1988 Olympic Games in

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and the 1992 Olympic Games in

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. She also won a bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in

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Career

Skeete was born in

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, England and was raised in Swindon. She first came to prominence in 1985 as a teenager, winning the first of two English Schools 100 metres hurdles titles and placing third at the UK Championships behind Judy Simpson and Judith Rodgers in 13.76 seconds. She began 1986 by claiming her first senior national title at the AAAs indoor championships, winning the 60 m hurdles in 8.22 secs. In the summer of 1986, Skeete placed second in the 100 m hurdles at both the UK Championships and the

AAA Championships The AAA Championships was an annual track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association of England. It was the foremost domestic athletics event in the United Kingdom during its lifetime, despite the existence of the officia ...

behind

Sally Gunnell Sally Jane Janet Gunnell (born 29 July 1966) is a British former track and field athlete, active between 1984 and 1997, who won the 1992 Olympic gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles. During a golden 24-month period between 1992 and 1994, Gunn ...

and ahead of both

Wendy Jeal Wendy Jeal (née McDonnell, born 21 November 1960) is a female English former track and field athlete who competed in the 100 metres hurdles. She represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympic Games. In 1986, representing England, she won a Com ...

and Olympic silver medalist

Shirley Strong Shirley Elaine Strong (née Strong, born 18 November 1958) is a British former athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres hurdles. In this event, she won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, a gold medal at the 1982 Comm ...

. At the

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, she finished fifth for

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in the final in a time of 13.66. In the 1987 indoor season, after retaining her AAAs title, Skeete reached the 60 m hurdles final at both the European Indoor Championships and the World Indoor Championships. At the Europeans in Lievin, she was fifth in 8.07, having run a UK record of 8.06 in both the heats and semis. At the World Indoors in Indianapolis, she was sixth in 8.18 secs. Outdoors, she won the UK title in 13.29, ahead of

Kim Hagger Kim Hagger (born 2 December 1961) is a retired English athlete who competed mainly in the heptathlon and the long jump. She represented Great Britain at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Career Hagger was born in Plais ...

and Wendy Jeal before again finishing second to Sally Gunnell at the AAAs Championships. At the

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, she was eliminated in the heats in 13.40. In 1988, Skeete finished second to Gunnell at the AAAs Championships, earning selection for the 1988 Olympic Games in

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. In Seoul, she reached the semi-finals, running 13.23. In 1989, Skeete won her third AAAs 60 m hurdles title indoors, while outdoors, she finished second at the UK Championships and third at the AAAs Championships. In January 1990 at the

, she won the bronze medal for

in time of 13.31, behind Kay Morley and Sally Gunnell. Later that year, she ran her lifetime best in the 100 m hurdles to win the AAAs title, edging out Kay Morley 13.03 to 13.05. At the 1990 European Championships in

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, she reached the semi-finals, where she ran 13.37. In 1991, Skeete won her fourth AAAs indoor 60 m hurdles title and reached the semi-finals at the World Indoor Championships in

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, running 8.15. In the summer, she won her second UK title, before finishing second to Sally Gunnell (for the fourth time) at the AAAs Championships, Gunnell narrowly winning, 13.02 to 13.05. At the

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, she was eliminated in the heats in 13.33. Skeekte began the 1992 summer season by finishing second at the UK Championships in June. Running into a strong headwind, she narrowly lost to Kay Morley-Brown, 13.59 to 13.67. In July at the AAAs Championships, incorporating the Olympic trials, she finished third behind Gunnell and Morley-Brown in a season's best of 13.38, earning selection for the

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in Barcelona, Spain. In Barcelona, she was eliminated in the heats in 13.42. The 1992 Olympics would prove to be Skeete's final appearance at a major Championships. Skeete has a total of 14 top three placements in the 100m hurdles at the AAA and UK Championships (three wins). Her final top three finish came in 1994, when she finished third behind

Clova Court Clova E. Court (née Cameron; born 10 February 1960) is a retired English athlete, who competed mainly in the heptathlon and the 100 metres hurdles. She represented Great Britain in the heptathlon at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. She won ...

and Sally Gunnell at the AAA Championships. As of 2018, her lifetime best of 8.06 in the 60 m hurdles, ranks her 10th on the UK all-time list. In the 100 m hurdles, her best of 13.03, ranks her 16th on the UK all-time list.http://www.powerof10.info/rankings/rankinglist.aspx?event=100HW&agegroup=All&sex=W&alltime=y

Competition record

*Four AAA Indoor Championships 60 metres hurdles titles (1986, 1987, 1989, 1991)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Skeete, Lesley-Ann 1967 births Living people People from Sydenham, London English female hurdlers British female hurdlers Olympic athletes of Great Britain Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England Athletes (track and field) at the 1990 Commonwealth Games World Athletics Championships athletes for Great Britain Black British sportswomen Medallists at the 1990 Commonwealth Games