37 Facts About Kelly Sotherton

Kelly Jade Sotherton was born on 13 November 1976 and is a British former heptathlete, long jumper and relay runner.

Kelly Sotherton won a bronze at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics.

Indoors, Kelly Sotherton was a World silver medallist, and twice European silver medallist in pentathlon, in which she was ranked seventh all-time in 2022.

Several of Kelly Sotherton's medals arrived after other athletes had been caught doping - at the time, Kelly Sotherton's reputation was more of near misses than medal success.

Kelly Sotherton was born in Newport, Isle of Wight on 13 November 1976.

Kelly Sotherton began her athletics career in the sports day at Caversham House Primary School in Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Kelly Sotherton was educated at Bishop Lovett Middle School, Ryde High School and Brunel University.

Kelly Sotherton moved to the Midlands in 1998, to become a member of Birchfield Harriers athletics club.

Kelly Sotherton made her senior British team debut in 2002.

Kelly Sotherton gained international recognition in 2004 when she unexpectedly won a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in Athens behind Carolina Kluft and Austra Skujyte, scoring 6424 points and finishing ahead of defending Olympic champion Lewis, who dropped out due to injury.

Kelly Sotherton was famously criticised for settling for the bronze medal instead of chasing the silver in the final event, the 800m, by her coach Charles van Commenee.

At the 2005 World Championships Kelly Sotherton had held a medal position going into the sixth event, despite some below average performances, but a disastrous javelin saw her drop out of contention.

Kelly Sotherton did manage to knock nearly 2.5 seconds off her personal best to win the final 800 m, but despite closing the overall gap on those ahead she only finished fifth.

In March 2006 Kelly Sotherton competed for England in the heptathlon at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Kelly Sotherton took gold with a score of 6396, ahead of Kylie Wheeler of Australia and her teammate Jessica Ennis.

Kelly Sotherton came seventh ahead of her teammate Jessica Ennis, after a disappointing javelin event caused her to drop from second.

Kelly Sotherton set a personal best 2:12.54, but Kluft underscored her previous mark to win by 17 points.

In one of the best pentathlons of all time, many athletes set national records and Kluft and Kelly Sotherton rose to second and fourth on the all-time lists respectively.

Kelly Sotherton started the first day with a personal best of 13.21 seconds in the 100 metres hurdles.

Kelly Sotherton then came within a centimetre of her personal best in the high jump with a 1.86 m performance.

However, Kelly Sotherton put in a strong performance in the 800 m, running 2:11.58 to just beat teammate Jessica Ennis to the bronze medal, with 6,510 points.

In February 2008, Kelly Sotherton competed in a three-event triathlon, at the Indoor Grand Prix, in Birmingham, against a field including Carolina Kluft.

Kelly Sotherton started with a below-par performance in the long jump, allowing Kluft to take the lead.

Kelly Sotherton then won the 60 m hurdles in a personal best of 8.17 seconds.

Kelly Sotherton lived up to expectation in the 60 m hurdles, winning in 8.25 seconds.

Sotherton then won the long jump with 6.45 m, moving into second, behind Hellebaut, who set a Belgian record of 6.41 m Hellebaut held a considerable lead entering the final event, the 800 m Sotherton needed to beat the Belgian by 7.7 seconds to win gold.

Kelly Sotherton set a personal best of 2:09.95, with Hellebaut collapsing over the line in 2:16.42,6.47 seconds behind Kelly Sotherton, and the Briton had to again settle for silver.

Lyudmila Blonska was later disqualified for failing a doping test and Kelly Sotherton was upgraded to fourth.

Kelly Sotherton had previously labelled Blonska a cheat, and questioned the validity of Blonska's silver medal at the World Championships in 2007.

Kelly Sotherton received her bronze medal from the 4x400 metre relay at the London Anniversary Games on 21 July 2018 along with her teammates.

Kelly Sotherton completed "the first step of her reinvention as a 400m specialist", with a victory in the 400m final in 53.46 sec, at the English Institute of Sport - Sheffield indoor arena on 13 February 2011.

On Sunday 27 May 2012, Kelly Sotherton announced her retirement from the sport after failing to recover from back surgery in time for the London 2012 games.

Since retiring in 2012, Kelly Sotherton has been on UKsport international leaderships programme and ACGP.

Kelly Sotherton appears in the media, commentating and guesting on various productions including those by Talksport and BBC Radio 5 Live, and undertakes public speaking engagements.

Kelly Sotherton participated in the 2013 London Marathon in aid of Age UK, the Deloitte Ride Across Britain from Lands End to John O'Groats, the Prudential London Triathlon, and a marathon row for cancer research.

Kelly Sotherton was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to track and field athletics and the promotion of women's sport.

Kelly Sotherton has worked with Wasps Rugby and Warwickshire CC.