21 Facts About Katharine Merry

Katharine Merry was born on 21 September 1974 and is an English former sprinter.

Katharine Merry achieved the bronze medal in the 400 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the fastest woman in the world over 400 m in 2001, with her career best of 49.59 seconds.

Katharine Merry represented Great Britain at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and won the 200 metres at the 1993 European Junior Championships.

Katharine Merry was the fastest girl in the world aged 14 years, and started her international GB career aged just 13, staying on the junior team for a record six years, winning five Junior Championships and a total of six medals.

Katharine Merry became a successful senior athlete with her Olympic medal in Sydney in the "Race of the Games", achieving bronze behind the Australian favourite, Cathy Freeman, in front of 112,000 people at Stadium Australia.

Katharine Merry was coached by fellow Olympic medallist Linford Christie in his Cardiff-based training squad, which included fellow Olympic medallist Darren Campbell.

Katharine Merry holds World age-records, including 7.35 secs for 60 m indoors, when aged 14.

Katharine Merry is third-fastest on the UK All Time 400 m list with a time of 49.59 seconds.

Katharine Merry had been affected by the injury since 2001 and was struggling to get it fully healed.

Katharine Merry worked for the BBC at the Olympics in Beijing and London and was the sole field event commentator for the Channel 4 coverage of the Paralympic Games in 2012.

At the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014, Katharine Merry did live trackside interviews.

Katharine Merry has worked for Sky TV, Eurosport and Channel Five.

Katharine Merry appeared on the BBC One gameshow All New Celebrity Total Wipeout on 25 September 2010, where she struck up a rivalry with John Regis, the man who, in her words, "ate all the pies".

Katharine Merry "ran" the qualifier in 2:16, beating Regis by 50 seconds, and then beating him again in the next two rounds, but losing finally in the Wipeout Zone, finishing third behind Regis and eventual winner DJ JK.

Katharine Merry is a regular on BBC One's A Question of Sport and BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting Talk.

In December 2013, Katharine Merry came third out of four contestants on Celebrity Mastermind on BBC One.

Katharine Merry was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.

At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Katharine Merry became the first female in-stadium announcer at an Olympic Games.

In January 2024, Katharine Merry was named by Aston Villa as a member of the Honorary Anniversary Board ahead of the club's 150th anniversary season, as well as previously becoming a AVFC Foundation Ambassador.

Katharine Merry was based in Cardiff while training with Linford Christie, before moving to Bristol after retirement.

Katharine Merry's son was born in February 2011 and her daughter in March 2014.