Dame Kelly Holmes Bio
British Double Olympic Gold Medallist in Track and Field
Kelly Holmes was made a Dame in 2005. This coincided with the end of her impressive track and field career. This career saw the British athlete rise to the very top of the world, all culminating at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where she would win two gold medals at different distances. Much of Holmes athletic career coincided with her time serving in the British Army, before becoming a full-time athlete in 1997.
This page covers Dame Kelly Holme’s impressive career.
Kelly Holmes – Before 2004
Reaching the pinnacle of the athletic world did not come easy for Kelly Holmes. Some athletes can dominate a sport from an early age. However, success came relatively late for the Kent born athlete.
She qualified for her first international event at the age of twenty-three, finishing 5th in the semi-final of the 800 metres in the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. The following year, Holmes would claim the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the 1500m, which saw her stand atop a podium for the first time.
1995 World Championships
Holmes second World Championships in 1995 were a different story to her first. She qualified for both the 800m and 1500m events and made the final in each. In the 800 metres she claimed the bronze medal and in the 1500 metres, she would claim the gold.
These successes put her in prime position for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia in the US. As in the World Championship, she qualified for both finals, but disappointingly finished 4th in the 800 metres and 11th in the 1500 metres.
First Gold Medal for Holmes
After failing at the semi-final stage of the 800 metres in the 1999 World Championship, the hopes were not as high heading into the Sydney 2000 Olympics. However, she would claim her first ever Olympic medal by finishing third in the 800 metres, with a 7th place finish in the 1500 metres.
Heading to France for the 2003 World Championships, Kelly Holmes would claim the silver medal in the 800 metres, giving her great confidence going into the 2004 Olympics.
Kelly Holmes at the 2004 Olympics
The preparation was not great for Kelly Holmes in 2003. After suffering leg injuries which led to a bout of depression (which she has spoken about at great length since). However, by the time the summer Olympics came round in 2004 she was injury free and all set for the Athens Olympics.
Holmes was always a consistent qualifier for finals and once again she managed to make the final of both the 800 metres and the 1500 metres events.
The 800-metre final came first. It was a fast-paced race, with many of the athletes possibly going out too fast, Holmes literally in last place for much of the first lap. Holmes ran the race to her own pace and would challenge race favourite Maria Mutola heading into the final straight. They were neck and neck for most of the last 100 metres, with Holmes finally pulling ahead, only to face a challenge from fast finishing Hasna Benhassi and Čeplak in the last few yards. At first, she did not know if she had won the race, it was that close, but confirmation came through and the elation on the face of the British athlete told the story.
1500 Meter Final
The 1500 metre final saw Holmes once again position herself near the rear of the field, only starting to make strides at the bell. Heading round the final bend, Holmes put herself on the shoulders of the leaders and then sprinted home. There was little doubt this time, as Holmes strode away from the field and won in a completely dominant performance. Holmes was double Olympic Champion. She became the first British Olympic track and field competitor to win two golds at the Summer Olympics since 1920. She was awarded the honour of carrying the British flag at the closing ceremony of the Olympics.
Kelly Holmes after Olympic Success: Sports Personality of the Year
Later that year, Kelly Holmes was named the ‘Sports Personality of the Year,’ calling it ‘the biggest sporting honour your country can give you.’ In 2005 she also was named the ‘Laureus Sportswoman of the Year’. On the 9th of March Kelly Holmes was invited to Buckingham Palace, where she invested as a ‘Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire’ by her majesty, The Queen.
Her training in 2005 was interrupted by a recurring Achilles tendon injury. In December of that year, Kelly Holmes announced her retirement from athletics.
In 2008 she set up the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, which supports retired athletes, who in turn use their skills to aid disadvantaged young people in mentoring programs.
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