Athlete Profiles
Jana Pittman
Jana missed the 2007-2008 domestic season due to injury. She returned to the track mid-2008 aiming to compete on the European circuit in the lead-up to her main goal, Beijing. In her first competition in Poland Jana pulled up sore and was unable to resume training. In a devastating blow for the world champion she made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Olympic Games.
Jana initally underwent surgery to the second toe of her right foot in January to remove loose cartilage and clean up the joint. She had been experiencing pain in the toe since early 2007 and decided to have what was seen to be a relatively minor procedure, which would only see her off the training track for three weeks.
Injury also forced Jana out of the world championships in Berlin in 2009.
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- Date of Birth:
- 09.11.1982
- Discipline:
- Hurdles
- Occupation:
- Athlete
- Height:
- 181cm
- Weight:
- 68kg
- State:
- ACT
- Coach:
- Phil King
- Previous Coaches:
- Craig Hilliard
- Scholarship:
- AIS
- Club:
- Hills District Athletics Club
- Place of Birth/Residence:
- Sydney, NSW / Gold Coast, Qld
- Marital Status
- N/A
- Gallery
Further Information
Competition Stats
AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
200m: 1999 (U18) - 1st
400m: 1999 (U18) - 1st, 2000 - 4th (3rd Australian), 2006 - 8th
400m hurdles: 1998 (U18) - 1st, 1999 (U18) - 1st, (U20) - 1st, 2001 - 1st, 2002 - 1st, 2003 – 1st
INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Commonwealth Games: 2002 - 400m hurdles 1st (54.40), 4 x 400m 1st (3.25.63, split 50.38), 2006 - 400m hurdles 1st (53.82), 4 x 400m 1st (3.28.66, split 51.8)
Olympic Games: 2000 - 400m hurdles 3rd heat (56.76), 4 x 400m 2nd heat (3.24.05, split 51.9), 2004 - 400m hurdles 5th (53.92)
World junior championships: 2000 - 400m 1st (52.45), 400m hurdles 1st (56.27), 4 x 400m 7th (3.38.66, split 53.60)
World youth championships: 1999 - 400m 7th (55.06), 400m hurdles 1st (57.87)
World Cup: 2002 - 400m hurdles 3rd (55.15), 4 x 400m 7th (3.31.32, split 51.6)
World championships: 2003 - 400m hurdles 1st (53.22), 2005 - 400m hurdles withdrew injured, 2007 - 400m hurdles 1st (53.31)
ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
400 metres:
1999 51.80
2000 51.76
2001 51.74
2002 52.37
2003 50.43
2004 50.93
2005 52.33
2006 52.84
2007 51.94
400m hurdles:
1999 56.23
2000 55.20
2001 55.93
2002 54.14
2003 53.22
2004 53.43
2005 53.44
2006 53.82
2007 53.31
2008 55.94
2009 55.34
EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS:
100 metres: 11.77 (2003)
100m hurdles: 13.92 (+1.9) - Hobart, 30/01/00
200 metres: 23.52 (+1.8) - Sydney, 15/02/03
400 metres: 50.43 - Sydney, 22/03/03
400m hurdles: 53.22 - Paris, 28/08/03
RECORD(S):
Commonwealth Games record - 4 x 400m: 3.25.63, Manchester 2002
World Junior/Australian U20 record - 400m hurdles: 55.20 - Pietersberg (RSA), 18/03/00
Australian U18 record - 400m hurdles: 56.23 - Sydney, 18/12/99
Australian U18 record - 400m: 51.80 - Sydney, 12/12/99
Australian best: 300m - 36.34
Interesting Facts
As a young athlete Jana competed for Parramatta and Winston Hills Little Athletics clubs.
Before competition Jana paints her fingernails and toenails in the colours of her team and wears a gold bracelet given to her by her former training partner Melinda Gainsford-Taylor. She draws inspiration from a tattoo of a bumblebee on her stomach. According to Jana, “aerodynamically the bumble bee cannot fly but it doesn't know this so it goes on flying anyway. To me it means I have been given this body and I'm capable of anything.”
She is known for her fascination with collecting stuffed wombat toys and the Melbourne Zoo named a baby wombat in her honour.
Prior to the Athens Olympics she was coached by Phil King and mentored by his wife, Seoul Olympics 400m hurdles champion Debbie Flintoff-King.
In 2002, Jana commenced a science degree by correspondence through Monash University.
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