Jemma Reekie

At the 2017 European Under-20 Championships, she won the 1500-meter race at the age of 19. She also placed fourth in the 3000-meter race at the event. Reekie won the 800m and 1500m races at the 2019 European U23 Championships, capping off a remarkable double two years later.

Reekie achieved new records for the 800 meters and 1500 meters in February 2020, breaking three British indoor records in a span of eight days. In 2021, Laura Muir, her Scottish training partner, reclaimed the 1500-meter record, while Keely Hodgkinson broke the 800 m record in 2022. She finished fourth in the 800 meters at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a personal best time of 1:56.90, just missing out on a medal. She triumphed at the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City in September 2021. In the men’s race, Jake Wightman won, giving Scotland a clean sweep.

The year 2022 wasn’t a great year for Jemma as she wasn’t able to finish on top of the podium in any of the major events. She finished fifth on both the occasions at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships. She couldn’t make it to the final of the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, as she came in 15th in the semi-final with a timing of 1:56.90. However, considering her solid attitude, mindset and determination, it is difficult to stop an athlete like Jemma. She would be eyeing to make her 2023 a memorable one.

Her greatest rivals on the track are her fellow Britons Laura Muir, a Tokyo Olympics silver medalist in 1500m (also her training partner) and Keely Hodgkinson, the Tokyo Olympics 800m silver medalist.

Jemma was born on March 6, 1998 in Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, Scotland to Jared and Morna Reeky. She has an older brother and a younger sister named Hope. Jemma was a quiet, intelligent, and sweet child who was also determined and tough. As the kids grew older, learning to swim became a priority. Jemma also enjoyed riding horses and playing hockey. In one of the interviews, her mother Morna said that Jemma would continue to ride the bike until she learned even if she fell off it repeatedly throughout the day. Her mother said that if there was something she wanted to accomplish, she would go ahead and do it.

However, her actual passion was athletics, which she fell in love with as soon as she joined Mrs. Duncan’s cross country team in P5 at the Beith Primary School when she was nine years old. Liz Duncan, a PE instructor, was devoted to her young athletes and passionate about athletics. She organized trips to cross country races and indoor athletics contests while also coaching the school’s cross country squad in her own time. Young Jemma had decided to pursue running by the time she finished elementary school.