Emily Campbell

[Jack_Ofall]

Swapped the throwing circle for the lifting platform in 2016. Not to disregard the technical aspects of the throws, but there was evidently a supremely powerful in there! A shame it was perhaps not fully recognised.

https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/emily-campbell-14633437

Musings aside, a fantastic performance in a sport we have little/no historical success in. Chapeau!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/58059401

[Occasional Hope]

I didn't realise she used to be a thrower.

[MysteryBrick]

Nor did I. Excellent from her. Let's claim that as half a medal, along with Alex Yee's silver

[Occasional Hope]

Surely we can claim a third of all the triathlon medals.

[SprintRelayFan]

I'm sure I saw something about someone used to do javelin as well.

[Ladyloz]

Maddie Hinch I think

[SprintRelayFan]

Great thanks!

[trickstat]

Here is her Power of 10 Profile. She was quite a prolific competitor as an under 17 but her PBs improved quite a bit while at uni:

https://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=88377

[Christy93]

First of all, congratulations to Emily - Her name goes down in history as the first British woman to win an Olympic weightlifting medal.

Now, I noticed she said she picked up a barbell for the first time 5 years ago, aged 22, so she is clearly a very quick learner and absorbs technical instructions well. She also displayed some impressive quick footwork during her 161kg clean & jerk, she was badly off balance at one point and did well to hold it together. Throw in the fact she is also clearly extremely powerful and it does feel like athletics missed a rough diamond - I wonder how many like her there have been over the years...

Anyway, our loss is weightliftings gain - Super talented and, more importantly, seems like a lovely woman, so here's to more success.

[trickstat]

On the theme of former track and field athletes, the track cycling sprinter, Katy Marchant, went to the 2012 World Juniors in the heptathlon before switching sports.

[MysteryBrick]

I was genuinely about to post something identical!

https://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=27299

Decent sprint hurdler as a junior, but definitely making an even better cyclist...

[carterhatch]

Cross sport talent Identification is one of my favourite topics.... There could be so many more stories of the Campbell/Marchant type if there was a pro active, systematic effort across sports in this country. I challenge UK Athletics to pursue my idea of working with gymnasts to find a triple jumper ...

[carterhatch]

Yes, good ideas, and I repeat, UK Athletics need to at least try and identify potential outside of the current sources. It has been said that the derth of 400m talent is down to the ideal types being drawn to football, well not every one makes it at that sport, and, UK Athletics could be building connections with clubs to offer an option to the lads 'let go' after the academy period.

[trickstat]

The amount of sporting talent lost to the country generally when young people are let go by football academies is a great shame as I think few of them move into something else. I can see how 400m types would be useful in football - enough speed to be good in a short sprint but with some endurance to do lots of them, able to get up and down the pitch to get involved in both attack and defence.

[carterhatch]

..and it wouldnt take much for UK Sport to work with the Premier League to offer a pathway to young academy leavers to have tasters in other sports - it might not be what the young person wants to hear at that disappointing moment, but, with a few well chosen success stories, it could offer a small number a real opportunity ... anyway, I wont go on ...

[trickstat]

I know her Games finished a few days ago but the rower Helen Glover was, of course, a decent runner in her teens and competed at the English Schools at 800, 1500 and 3000:

https://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=3100

I think she did a fairly decent heptathlon but that would predate Power of 10's more comprehensive coverage.

Are there any males in the GB team in other sports who were ever athletes?

[jjimbojames]

If you follow English Schools' Twitter, they were flagging any previous ESAA Champs participants from all sports

[MysteryBrick]

We've covered Alex Yee. There must surely be others?

[trickstat]

I think this falls in the category of 'low-hanging fruit', but Jonny Brownlee can still run a sub 14 minute road 5K:

https://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=38538

[trickstat]

I think this is Kate French's brief Po10 profile:

https://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=65929