Emily Pidgeon
Expect to hear a lot more about Emily Pidgeon in the build-up to the 2012 London Olympic Games. She is one of Britain’s most talented young athletes and a hot prospect for Olympic success.
Pidgeon will have just turned 23 by the time the Games begin and is focused on being in that Olympic stadium representing Team GB for that once in a lifetime opportunity.
Thanks to her remarkable performances in middle distance, steeplechase and cross-country events, Pidgeon has inevitably been described as the next Paula Radcliffe. But while Pidgeon is happy to be compared to her role model and inspiration, she takes such comments in her stride.
From the start of her career, Pidgeon has set remarkable times – in events her own age group and in those up to five years her senior. She is the only British runner ever to win the English Schoolgirls National Title five times.
In 2003, she won the European Cross Country Championships trials in Liverpool, winning the U20 race. She was 14 at the time. She repeated the feat in 2004, yet was still too young to be selected for the British junior team. That same year, she set European bests at one mile and 5000m for her own age group, and threw in bests for 3000m (indoor) and 2000m steeplechase (outdoor) at U17 level for good measure.
In 2005, she finished 20th in the World Junior Cross Country Championships, finishing just a stride behind the highest-placed European runner. It was a result that drew favourable comparison with Radcliffe’s 15th place when she was 17.
Later that year, Pidgeon travelled to Lithuania for the European Junior Championships as the youngest member of the British team. She came away with European Junior gold for the 5000m.
Two years on and Pidgeon continued to set bests over distances ranging from 1500m to steeplechase, 5000m and cross country. She finished a tremendous 17th in the World Cross Country Championships before taking bronze during the defence of her European Junior 5000m crown.
Emily showed that combining education and training at Loughborough University is paying off. An encouraging 8th place at the World Junior Championship (5,000m) was followed by a gold in the European Cross Country Championships, Junior Team Event. And earlier this year Emily finished fourth in the European Junior Cross Country.
There is no doubt that Pidgeon has the talent and work ethic to succeed on the world stage. But it remains to be seen at which distance she’ll be aiming for Olympic glory.
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Personal details
Date of birth: 1 June 1989
Place of birth: Cheltenham
Height: 1.65m
Honours and achievements
2009: 4th at European Junior Cross Country
2008: 8th at World Junior Championship (5,000m)
2008: 2nd in University Cross Country Championships
2008: Winner Team Event, European Cross Country Junior Championship
2007: Starts at Loughborough University
2007: 17th in World Cross Country Championships
2007: European Junior 5000m bronze medallist
2005: Takes fifth consecutive English schools cross country title
2005: European Junior 5000m champion
2005: European U20 Cross Country silver medallist
2004: Sets second fastest five-mile time for a British woman
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