Jane Saville

{{short description|Australian racewalker}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}

{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1974|11|05|df=y}}

|birth_place= Sydney, Australia

|death_date=

|death_place=

|medaltemplates={{MedalSport | Women's Athletics}}

{{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalBronze | 2004 Athens | 20 km walk}}

{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{MedalGold | 1998 Kuala Lumpur | 10 km walk}}

{{MedalGold | 2002 Manchester | 20 km walk}}

{{MedalGold | 2006 Melbourne | 20 km walk}}

}}

Jane Kara Saville (born 5 November 1974) is an Australian race walker who won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She was born in Sydney.

Saville, from an athletically inclined family, competed in swimming, surf lifesaving, and walking as a junior athlete. She has competed at four Olympics, with a midfield result in 1996. In the 20 km racewalking event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in her home city of Sydney, when heading into the stadium's tunnel for the final stretch, Saville was disqualified for an illegal gait (lifting, a very common occurrence in race walking; the previous leader of the event had already been disqualified). Saville collapsed in tears. Afterwards, when asked what she needed, she replied: "A gun to shoot myself".{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/2004/jul/28oly-sav.htm|title=Saville keeps feet on ground after tears|author=Greg Buckle|publisher=Reuters|date=2004-07-28|access-date=2008-08-22}} Saville recovered her composure soon after and was publicly philosophical about her loss.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

On her bronze medal in Athens, Saville stated: "Nothing will make up for a gold medal in your home town, but you know this is where the Olympics began and any medal here, you know, I'm absolutely ecstatic with it".{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200408/s1183227.htm |title=Saville wins walking bronze |author=ABC News |author-link=ABC News (Australia) |date=2004-08-23 |access-date=2008-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080523144216/http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200408/s1183227.htm |archive-date=2008-05-23 |url-status=dead }}

Saville has won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games: in the 10-kilometre walk in 1998 and in the 20-kilometre walk in 2002 and 2006. She has won the Australian women's race walking championship five times. She was the Australian flagbearer at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.{{cite news|url=https://www.nswathletics.org.au/news/jane-saville-inducted-into-the-commonwealth-games-nsw/|title=Jane Saville inducted into the Commonwealth Games NSW Hall of Fame

|author=David Tarbotton|date=2022-06-16|access-date=2024-12-28}}

She is coached by her husband, professional cyclist Matt White. She splits her time between Sydney and Oliva, Spain. Her sister, Natalie Saville, is also a race walker and finished second to her at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. {{cite news|url=https://www.olympics.com.au/olympians/natalie-saville/|title=Natalie Saville|access-date=2024-12-28}}

Saville announced her retirement from competitive racewalking in February 2009,{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/02/2479978.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205123211/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/02/2479978.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 February 2009|title=Olympian Saville calls it quits|author=ABC News|date=2009-02-12|access-date=2009-02-12}} with her future plans including continued work in community health and fitness promotion and a role on the IAAF racewalking technical committee.{{cite web |url=http://janesavillenews.blogspot.com/2009/02/here-is-press-release-about-my.html|title=Jane Saville retires, walks into community role |access-date=2009-02-02 |publisher=Jane Saville |date=2009-02-02 }}

Saville has completed a Bachelor's degree in social sciences from the University of New South Wales.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Both Jane and her sister Natalie Saville live in the City of Randwick Local Government Area. Together with Natalie, Jane was presented with the Keys to the City of Randwick on 22 October 2002 by Mayor Dominic Sullivan in recognition of outstanding achievement in sport.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}