Janieve Russell

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Janieve Russell

| image= Janieve Russell - WK indoor 2022 (cropped).jpg

| image_size=170px

| caption= Janieve Russell at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships

| birth_date= {{birth date and age|df=yes|1993|11|14}}

| birth_place= Manchester Parish, Jamaica

| height=1.75 m

| weight=64 kg

| country= Jamaica

| sport =Track and field

| event=400m hurdles

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{JAM}}}}

{{MedalCompetition |Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships}}

}}

Janieve Russell (born 14 November 1993) is a Jamaican track and field athlete who competes mainly in the 400 metres hurdles and the 400 metres sprint. She won an Olympic bronze medal in the {{nowrap|4 × 400 m}} relay in Tokyo 2021, where she also finished fourth in the 400m hurdles final in a personal best of 53.08 secs. She is a four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, winning the 400m hurdles title in 2018 and 2022, and the {{nowrap|4 × 400 m}} relay in 2014 and 2018. She has also won two relay silvers at the World Championships and a relay gold at the World Indoor Championships.

Russell was highly successful as a youth and junior level athlete. She was a nine-time gold medallist at the CARIFTA Games and a double gold medallist at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics, winning the 400 metres hurdles and the 4 × 400 m relay. She also won a relay medal at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics.

Career

=Early life and career=

Born in Manchester, Jamaica,{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140802141248/http://results.glasgow2014.com/athlete/athletics/1099919/j_russell.html Janieve Russell]}}. Glasgow2014. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. she attended Holmwood Technical High School in Christiana and competed in a variety of track and field events while there.[http://www.fastashecan.com/?page_id=19 Synopsis {{!}} The Athletes & Their Mothers]. Fast As She Can. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. She was in the top three of both the high jump and long jump at the Jamaican High School Championships in 2008 and made her international debut shortly after, taking the under-17 long jump silver at the 2008 CARIFTA Games.[http://www.tilastopaja.org/db/atw.php?ID=50635&Season=2008&Odd=0 Janieve Russell]. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. She returned at the 2009 CARIFTA Games and won that title, setting a personal best of {{T&Fcalc|6.06}} in the process. At the competition she was also the high jump bronze medallist, double gold medallist in the 4×100 and 4×400 metres relays, and set a games record in the 300 metres hurdles as well.[http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/more-records-fall-in-2009-carifta-games-day More records fall in 2009 CARIFTA Games – Day 3]. IAAF (13 April 2009). Retrieved on 2014-08-12. She was among the contenders in the long jump at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics, but was twenty centimetres off her best in the final and finished in ninth place.[http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/jamaica/janieve-russell-247697#honours Janieve Russell]. IAAF. Retrieved on 12 August 2014.

Expanding her oeuvre, in 2010 Russell placed in the top three at the Jamaican High School in the 100 metres hurdles as well as her long jump speciality. Taking in combined track and field events, she entered the pentathlon at the 2010 CARIFTA Games and won by a margin of nearly 400 points. She still entered the long jump individually, and placed fourth.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130831123408/http://www.wjah.co.uk/wojc/CAJG/CAJG2010.html 2010 CARIFTA Games]. World Junior History. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. The Jamaican junior championships saw her win a long jump/400 metres sprint double. International junior medals followed at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships, where the 16-year-old Russell took the 400 m silver medal win a personal best of 53.68 seconds and helped the Jamaican 4×400 metres relay team to the gold medals.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140201194129/http://wjah.co.uk/wojc/CCJC/CCJC2010.html 2010 CAC Junior Championships]. World Junior Athletics History. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. She was selected for the same events at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics. Although she was a little slower in the 400 m individual event, being eliminated in the semi-finals, she won a medal with the Jamaican team, which ran its fastest time of the year (3:32.24 minutes) to claim the bronze medals.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140309172745/http://www.wjah.co.uk/wojc/WJC/WJC2010.html 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics]. World Junior Athletics History. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. She competed internationally in her fourth different event of the season, choosing the long jump for the 2010 Youth Olympics and placing seventh in the competition.[http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/docroot/results/INF__ATW061B11C73P_____________________00001000_PENG20100821200508875.pdf 2010 Summer Youth Olympics – Girl's Long Jump Final A] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525045327/http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/docroot/results/INF__ATW061B11C73P_____________________00001000_PENG20100821200508875.pdf |date=25 May 2012 }}. Singapore2010. Retrieved on 12 August 2014.

The 2011 season saw Russell set personal bests in all the disciplines she competed in, bar the jumps. She focused on the 400 metres hurdles at the start of the year, which culminated in a victory in the under-19 section of the 2011 CARIFTA Games in a personal best of 57.71 seconds. She also won relay gold with the Jamaican team at the competition.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140108181811/http://www.wjah.co.uk/wojc/CAJG/CAJG2011.html 2011 CARIFTA Games]. World Junior Athletics History. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. In May she ran track bests of 24.10 seconds for the 200 metres and 53.55 seconds for the 400 m. In June she won her first senior title at the Jamaican Athletics Championships, winning the heptathlon with a personal best score of 5361 points, including a javelin throw best of {{T&Fcalc|33.96}} and an 800 metres best of 2:18.47 minutes to finish the competition. The 2011 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships was the biggest international event of her season and she finished with a heptathlon silver medal behind Brazil's Tamara de Souza, setting bests in the shot put and 100 metres hurdles along the way.[http://www.athletics.ca/files/Events/International/Historical%20Results/2011/2011PanAmJrs.pdf Results – 2011 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523172324/http://www.athletics.ca/files/Events/International/Historical%20Results/2011/2011PanAmJrs.pdf |date=23 May 2012}}. Athletics Canada. Retrieved on 12 August 2014.

=World Junior champion=

Russell began to specialise more in the hurdles in 2012. She repeated her hurdles/relay double at the 2012 CARIFTA Games and was also the long jump runner-up.[http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/weather-improves-to-allow-records-to-highligh Weather improves to allow records to highlight last day of CARIFTA Games]. IAAF (10 April 2012). Retrieved on 2014-08-12. Her season focused on the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics. She entered as the world leader in the 400 m hurdles through her new best of 57.04 seconds at the national championships in June.[http://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/women/junior/2012 400 Metres Hurdles – women – junior – outdoor – 2012]. IAAF. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. She was dominant at the competition and won the gold medal by a margin of over a second, setting a new best time of 56.62 seconds. This made her the second Jamaican woman to win the title, following in the footsteps of Kaliese SpencerArcoleo, Laura (14 July 2012). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/barcelona-2012-event-report-womens-400m-h Barcelona 2012 – Event Report – Women's 400m Hurdles Final]. IAAF. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. She then anchored the Jamaican 4×400 m relay team to the silver medals behind the American team.Arcoleo, Laura (15 July 2012). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/barcelona-2012-event-report-womens-4x400m Barcelona 2012 – Event Report – Women's 4x400m Relay Final]. IAAF. Retrieved on 12 August 2014.

=Senior career=

Having finished her junior career, she gained an athletic scholarship to study at the University of Technology, Jamaica – an institution with a prominent sports programme. She continued to focus on the 400 m hurdles,[http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/bolt-and-powell-breeze-through-heats-at-jamai Bolt and Powell breeze through heats at Jamaican Champs]. IAAF (21 June 2013). Retrieved on 12 August 2014. setting a new best of 56.30 seconds in 2013, and began training in the event under Stephen Francis at the MVP Track Club.[http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20130215/sports/sports5.html Russell aims for next level ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218022522/http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20130215/sports/sports5.html |date=18 February 2013 }}. Jamaica Star (15 February 2013). Retrieved on 12 August 2014. She markedly improved her performances in 2014. She knocked over a second and a half off her 400 m sprint best, running a time of 51.49 seconds in Kingston in June.[http://www.trackalerts.com/Videos/janieve-russell-runs-51-48-pb-at-jaaa-all-comers-meet/4190/ Janieve Russell runs 51.48 PB at JAAA All Comers Meet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813023845/http://www.trackalerts.com/Videos/janieve-russell-runs-51-48-pb-at-jaaa-all-comers-meet/4190/ |date=13 August 2014 }}. Track Alerts. Retrieved on 12 August 2014. At the Jamaican Championships she was runner-up i the 400 m hurdles to the Kaliese Spencer, the top Jamaican and training partner. Russell's time of 54.75 seconds was almost a second improvement on her previous best.[http://www.trackalerts.com/Articles/spencer-gets-wl-vcb-ashmeade-win-100m-titles-at-jamaica-trials/12537/ Spencer gets WL; VCB, Ashmeade win 100m titles at Jamaica Trials]. Track Alerts (28 June 2014). Retrieved on 12 August 2014.

She was chosen to compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games (her first senior selection) and she came away with a bronze medal in the 400 m hurdles, finishing behind Spencer and host nation athlete Eilidh Child.[http://talksport.com/athletics/commonwealth-games-round-amos-stuns-rudisha-take-gold-800m-final-140731105037 Commonwealth Games round-up: Amos stuns Rudisha to take gold in 800m final]. Talk Sport (31 July 2014). Retrieved on 2014-08-12. She ran in the heats of the 4×400 m relay and though she was replaced in the final, the team won the gold medals.

Personal bests

400 metres hurdles – 53.08 sec (2021)
200 metres – 23.43 sec (2018)
400 metres – 50.98 sec (2023)
800 metres – 2:11.5h min (2015)
100 metres hurdles – 13.80 sec (2012)
300 metres hurdles – 41.30 sec (2009)
High jump – {{T&Fcalc|1.80}} (2009)
Long jump – {{T&Fcalc|6.20}} (2010)
Shot put – {{T&Fcalc|10.86}} (2011)
Javelin throw – {{T&Fcalc|33.96}} (2011)
Pentathlon – 3825 points (2010)
Heptathlon – 5361 points (2011)

International competition record

{{AchievementTable\|Event=yes\|width=80}}
colspan="6"\|Representing {{JAM}}
2009 \|World Youth Championships \|Brixen, Italy \|9th \|Long jump \|5.86 m
rowspan=5\|2010 \|rowspan=2\|Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (U-20) \|rowspan=2\|Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic \|bgcolor=silver\|2nd \|400 m \|53.68
bgcolor=gold\|1st \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:34.41
rowspan=2\|World Junior Championships \|rowspan=2\|Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada \|21st (sf) \|400 m \|55.16
bgcolor="cc9966"\|3rd \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:32.24
Youth Olympics \|Singapore \|7th \|Long jump \|5.83 m
2011 \|Pan American Junior Championships \|Miramar, United States \|bgcolor=silver\|2nd \|Heptathlon \|5352 pts
rowspan=2\|2012 \|rowspan=2\|World Junior Championships \|rowspan=2\|Barcelona, Spain \|bgcolor=gold\|1st \|400 m hurdles \|56.62
bgcolor=silver\|2nd \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:32.97
rowspan=2\| 2014 \|rowspan=2\|Commonwealth Games \|rowspan=2\|Glasgow, United Kingdom \|bgcolor=cc9966\|3rd \|400 m hurdles \|55.64
bgcolor=gold\|1st \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:28.29 †
2015 \|World Championships \|Beijing, China \|5th \|400 m hurdles \|54.65
2016 \|Olympic Games \|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil \|5th \|400 m hurdles \|54.15
2017 \|World Relays \|Nassau, Bahamas \|bgcolor=cc9966\|3rd \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:28.49
rowspan=4\|2018 \|World Indoor Championships \|Birmingham, United Kingdom \|2nd (h) \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:32.01¹
rowspan=2\|Commonwealth Games \|rowspan=2\|Gold Coast, Australia \|bgcolor=gold\|1st \|400 m hurdles \|54.33
bgcolor=gold\|1st \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:24.00
NACAC Championships \|Toronto, Canada \|bgcolor=silver\|2nd \|400 m hurdles \|53.81
2019 \|World Relays \|Yokohama, Japan \|5th \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:28.30
rowspan=2\|2021 \|rowspan=2\|Olympic Games \|rowspan=2\|Tokyo, Japan \|4th \|400 m hurdles \|53.08
bgcolor=cc9966\|3rd \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:21.24
rowspan=5\|2022 \|World Indoor Championships \|Belgrade, Serbia \|bgcolor=gold\|1st \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:28.40
rowspan=2\|World Championships \|rowspan=2\|Eugene, United States \|14th (sf) \|400 m hurdles \|54.66
bgcolor=silver\|2nd \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:20.74
rowspan=2\|NACAC Championships \|rowspan=2\|Freeport, Bahamas \|bgcolor=silver\|2nd \|400 m hurdles \|54.87
bgcolor=silver\|2nd \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:26.32
rowspan=2\|2023 \|rowspan=2\|World Championships \|rowspan=2\|Budapest, Hungary \|7th \|400 m hurdles \|54.28
bgcolor=silver\|2nd \|4 × 400 m relay \|3:20.88
2024 \|Olympic Games \|Paris, France \|12th (sf) \|400 m hurdles \|54.65

colspan="6"|Representing {{JAM}}

2009

|World Youth Championships

|Brixen, Italy

|9th

|Long jump

|5.86 m

rowspan=5|2010

|rowspan=2|Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (U-20)

|rowspan=2|Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

|bgcolor=silver|2nd

|400 m