Jessica Pengelly

Jessica Evelyn Pengelly (born 1 July 1991) is a South African-born Australian swimmer, who specializes in freestyle and individual medley events.[2] A 2008 Olympian, she has claimed multiple South African championship titles and national records in the individual medley (both 200 and 400 m), and won a total of five medals (three silver and two bronze) at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria.[3][4] Pengelly also set two South African records in the freestyle relays at the 2008 FINA World Short Course Championships in Manchester, England, and at the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China.[5]

Jessica Pengelly
Personal information
Full nameJessica Evelyn Pengelly
National team South Africa (to 2014)
 Australia (from 2014)
Born (1991-07-01) 1 July 1991
Edenvale, Gauteng, South Africa
Height1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, medley
ClubWest Coast Swimming Club[1]
CoachMick Palfrey

Pengelly competed as South Africa's youngest swimmer (aged 17) in a medley double at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She took the women's 400 m individual medley title in 4:41.35 and eventually fired off a 2:15.22 to crush the national record in the 200 m individual medley at the South African Championships four months earlier in Johannesburg to assure her a place on the Olympic team, both dipping beneath the FINA Olympic qualifying cut.[3][6]

On the first night of the Games, Pengelly held off the fast-charging French swimmer Joanne Andraca to save the seventh spot and twenty-first overall by 2.84 seconds in heat five of the 400 m individual medley, finishing with a time of 4:41.04.[7] Two days later, in the 200 m individual medley, Pengelly scored a time of 2:15.80 to touch out the daunting Dutch swimmer Femke Heemskerk by almost a quarter of her body-length for the fifth spot in heat two, but missed the semifinals with a twenty-sixth-place finish from the prelims.[8]

Pengelly emigrated to Perth, Western Australia in 2010, after completing high school, where she trains for the West Coast Swimming Club.[1] After major shoulder surgery and sitting out for the majority of 2013 Pengelly made a comeback and returned to the swimming pool. She will compete for Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow.[9] Making her debut for Australia, Pengelly qualified for the final in the 400 individual medley event.

References
  1. "City Swimmer Profile – Jessica Pengelly". City of Perth Swimming Club. 18 August 2011. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jessica Pengelly". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  3. "South African Championships: Jessica Pengelly Leads Record Bonanza". Swimming World Magazine. 6 April 2008. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  4. Omok, Isa (16 July 2007). "South African swimmers shine, Algeria soccer hopes dashed". Reuters. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  5. Staff (9 April 2008). "SA swimmers shine in Manchester". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  6. "Olympic Cut Sheet – Women's 200m Individual Medley" (PDF). Swimming World Magazine. p. 79. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  7. "Swimming: Women's 400m Individual Medley Heat 5". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  8. "Women's 200m Individual Medley Heat 2". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  9. Dale Miller (13 April 2014). "Jessica set for green and gold" – The West Australian. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
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