Jessica Zelinka
{{Short description|Canadian athlete}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name = Jessica Zelinka
|image = Jessica Zelinka.jpg
|nationality = Canadian
| sport = Heptathlon
|club = New York Athletic Club
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1981|09|03}}
|birth_place = London, Ontario
|height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}
|weight = {{convert|140|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|turnedpro =
|retired =
|pb = Heptathlon: 6599 points Calgary, 2012
Pentathlon: 4326, Regina, 2005
100 m hurdles: 12.65, London, 2012
|olympics =
|worlds =
|highestranking =
|coaching = Les Gramantik
|updated = July 2012
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalSilver|2010 Delhi|Heptathlon}}
{{MedalSilver|2014 Glasgow|Heptathlon}}
{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}
{{MedalGold|2007 Rio de Janeiro|Heptathlon}}
}}
Jessica Zelinka (born 3 September 1981 in London, Ontario) is a Canadian pentathlete, heptathlete, and 100 m hurdler. Her personal best score is 6599 points for the heptathlon. She was the gold medalist at the 2007 Pan American Games. Zelinka won silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and repeated her silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. At the 2012 Summer Olympics Zelinka finished in 6th overall in the heptathlon and 7th in the 100 m hurdles.
Career
Zelinka first became interested in track and field in elementary school and competed in her first heptathlon at 16. She missed much of the 1999 outdoor season because of an illness.2006 Commonwealth Games, [http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Participants/Participants?ID=106483 ZELINKA Jessica] (accessed 2012) Her first international competition was the 2000 IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics, where she was fifth in the heptathlon and also competed in the heats of the 100 meter hurdles. She missed most of the 2002 season due to a back and hamstring injury. Zelinka's first major global outing came at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and she finished in eleventh place. She just missed out on the medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games having finished in fourth place.
Regional success came at the 2007 Pan American Games as she fended off Gretchen Quintana, among others, to top the podium and take the gold medal. She set a new personal best and Canadian record points score for heptathlon, with 6343.{{cite web |url= http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=2/newsid=39929.html |title= Barber takes 100m title with 11.02 – Pan American Games, Day 3 |date= 25 July 2007 |author= Eduardo Biscayart |publisher= IAAF |accessdate= 1 July 2012 }} She was selected for the 2007 World Championships in Athletics, but did not compete.
File:Zelinka 2014 Commonwealth Games.jpg
She finished in fifth place at the 2008 Summer Olympics. This equalled the best place finish of a Canadian woman in a multi-events sport at the Olympics.{{cite news |url= http://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/2008/08/16/track_canada/ |title= Zelinka sets record en route to sixt |author= Canadian Press |publisher= SportsNet |date= 16 August 2008 |accessdate= 1 July 2012 |archive-date= 29 July 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140729074738/http://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/2008/08/16/track_canada/ |url-status= dead }} At the Beijing Olympics, she set a new Canadian record for heptathlon, with 6490 points. After her Olympic appearance, she took the 2009 season off from competition and had a daughter with her partner Nathaniel Miller, a Canadian international in water polo.Spencer, Donna (23 June 2011). [http://thechronicleherald.ca/Sports/1249946.html Olympic pair ‘not easy on each other’]. The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved on 24 June 2011.
Building up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, she finished third in the heptathlon at the Décastar meeting in Talence, France. She earned a season's best total of 6204 points.van Kuijen, Hans (19 September 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/WCE10/news/newsid=58357.html Suarez and Chernova prevail in Talence - IAAF World Combined Events Challenge]. IAAF. Retrieved on 19 September 2010. At the games Zelinka was battling the traveler's diarrhea that affected many athletes in Delhi. Despite the challenges she managed to finish a respectable second and win the silver. Though she did medal Zelinka admitted some disappointment as she had gone to Delhi to win gold.{{cite news |author = Randy Starkman|title = Heptathlete Jessica Zelinka goes the extra mile |work = Toronto Star |date =9 October 2010 |url = https://www.thestar.com/sports/commonwealthgames/article/873309--heptathlete-jessica-zelinka-goes-the-extra-mile |accessdate=11 October 2010}} Zelinka's medal was notable however as she just had a baby the previous year and had taken that season off and only returned to competition in 2010.
As of 2012, Zelinka's coach is Les Gramantik. During the 2012 Canadian Olympic trials for track and field, she set a new personal best, of 6599 points, and new Canadian record score for heptathletes, on 28 June 2012, besting her old personal best and Canadian record, set at the 2008 Olympics. This selected her for the 2012 London Olympics for heptathlon.{{cite news |url= https://montrealgazette.com/sports/Jessica+Zelinka+punches+ticket+London+grand+fashion/6860651/story.html |title= Jessica Zelinka punches ticket to London in grand fashion |first= Rita |last= Mingo |publisher= The Gazette (Montreal) |date= 29 June 2012 |accessdate= 1 July 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Two days later, she finished first in the 100 m hurdles, qualifying her for that event as well. She had considered foregoing it to concentrate on the heptathlon, but decided to compete in both events.{{cite news |url= https://www.thestar.com/sports/london2012/athletics/article/1219955--london-2012-zelinka-wins-felicien-and-lopes-schliep-fail-to-qualify-in-women-s-hurdles-at-olympic-trials |title= London 2012: Zelinka wins, Felicien and Lopes-Schliep fail to qualify at Olympic trials |author= Dave Feschuk |work= Toronto Star|date= 30 June 2012 |accessdate= 1 July 2012 }} At the 2012 London Olympics, Zelinka finished 7th overall in both the Women's Heptathlon event and the 100 m hurdles.
Zelinka competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games following a couple years away from the sport, there she won silver behind teammate Brianne Theisen-Eaton.
Results
| class="wikitable"
! Competition ! Venue ! Place ! Score |
| colspan=4|2014 |
|---|
| Athletics at the 2014 Commonwealth Games – Women's heptathlon
|2nd |[http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-combined-events-challenge/commonwealth-games-5610/results/women/heptathlon/800-metres/points#resultheader 6270] |
| colspan=4|2012 |
| Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's heptathlon
|6th |[http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-combined-events-challenge/the-xxx-olympic-games-4871/results/women/heptathlon/800-metres/points#resultheader 6480] |
| Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres hurdles
|7th | |
| colspan=4|2011 |
| Hypo-Meeting
|Götzis, Austria |5th |[http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-combined-events-challenge/37th-hypo-meeting-4745/results/women/heptathlon/800-metres/points#resultheader 6353] |
| 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics
|Daegu, Korea |9th |6268 |
| Décastar meeting
|Talence, France |[http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-combined-events-challenge/decastar-4742/results/women/heptathlon/800-metres/points#resultheader 4th] |6296 |
| colspan=4|2010 |
| 2010 Commonwealth Games
|Delhi, India |2nd |6100 |
| Décastar meeting
|Talence, France |[http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-combined-events-challenge/decastar-4404/results/women/heptathlon/800-metres/points#resultheader 3rd] |6204 |
| colspan=4|2008 |
| Canadian Track and Field Championships
|Windsor, ON - Canada | 1st | 6017 |
| 11th Meeting International d'Arles
|Arles - France | 11th | 5329 |
| IAAF Combined Events Challenge
|Götzis - Austria | 21st | 6034 |
| 2008 Summer Olympic Games
|Beijing - China | 4th | 6490 |
| colspan=4|2007 |
| 2007 Pan American Games
|Rio de Janeiro - Brazil | 1st | 6136 |
| World Combined Events Challenge
|Arles - France | 2nd | 6218 |
| IAAF Combined Events Challenge
|Götzis - Austria | 4th | 6343 |
| colspan=4|2006 |
| 32nd Hypo-Meet
|Gotzis - Austria | 4th | 6314 |
| 9th Meeting International d'Arles
|France | 1st | 6314 |
| 2006 Commonwealth Games
|Melbourne - Australia | 4th | 6213 |
| colspan=4|2005 |
| 31st Hypo-Meet
|Götzis - Austria | 11th | 6137 |
| Canadian Track and Field Championships
|Winnipeg, MB - Canada | 1st | 5723 |
| IAAF
|Arles - France | 4th | 6088 |
| colspan=4|2004 |
| Canadian Track and Field Championships
|Victoria, BC - Canada | 1st | 5890 |
| Décastar
|Talence - France | 6th | 5757 |
| colspan=4|2003 |
| Canadian Track and Field Championships
|Victoria, BC - Canada | 3rd | 5716 |
| colspan=4|2001 |
| Canadian Track and Field Championships
|Edmonton, AB - Canada | 1st | 5356 |
| Toledo Invitational
|Toledo, OH - United States | 1st | 5423 |
| colspan=4|2000 |
| Canadian Combined Junior Events Championships
|Windsor, ON - Canada | 1st | 5465 |
| 2000 IAAF World Junior Championships
|Santiago - Chile | 5th | 5688 |
| colspan=4|1998 |
| Junior Multi-Event Dual Meet
|Dordrecht - Netherlands | ? | 5250 |
Athletics Canada: http://www.athletics.ca/main.asp?page_url=/profile.asp?pID=10{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web | publisher=IAAF | title=Jessica Zelinka - Athlete Profile | url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/canada/jessica-zelinka-180326 | accessdate=26 January 2019 }}
Honours
In 2012 Zelinka was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.{{cite web|title=One more time for the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal|url=http://blogs.canoe.com/brandnewblog/entertainment/one-more-time-for-the-queen-elizabeth-ii-diamond-jubilee-medal/|website=James' Brand New Blog|accessdate=3 June 2017}}{{dead link|date=February 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.jessicazelinka.com/ Official Website]
- {{World Athletics}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120704122114/http://www.athletics.ca/profile_new.asp?pID=4768 Profile at Athletics Canada]
{{Footer Pan American Champions Heptathlon}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zelinka, Jessica}}
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Category:Canadian heptathletes
Category:Olympic track and field athletes for Canada
Category:Track and field athletes from London, Ontario
Category:Track and field athletes from Ontario
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 Pan American Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Canada
Category:Canadian female hurdlers
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2015 Pan American Games
Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada
Category:Pan American Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Canada
Category:Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games
Category:Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Category:Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Category:Canadian Track and Field Championships winners
Category:Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States