Liz Clay
{{Short description|Australian hurdler (born 1995)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Liz Clay
| image = Liz Clay 02 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Clay at the "Piero Ferrazzi" athletics track in Olgiate Olona in 2024
| birth_name = Elizabeth Clay
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|05|09|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia
| height = 172 cm
| weight = 64 kg
| sport = Athletics
| event = 100m hurdles
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport|Women's athletics}}
{{Medal|Country|{{flagu|Australia}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|Oceania Championships}}
{{Medal|Gold|2024 Suva|100m hurdles}}
}}
Elizabeth Clay (born 9 May 1995) is an Australian 100m hurdler. Her personal best of 12.71 at the Tokyo Olympics makes her the third fastest in Australian history.
Career
= Early years =
Clay was born in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia. She became interested in athletics after watching her younger brother Harry compete, and joined Hornsby Little Athletics as an under-10.{{Cite web |title=Elizabeth Clay |url=https://www.olympics.com.au/olympians/elizabeth-clay/ |access-date=22 September 2021 |website=Australian Olympic Committee |language=en-AU}}
She made her junior international debut at the 2014 World Juniors in the 100m hurdles, but had to withdraw from the team when she broke her navicular bone weeks before the team departed. Clay then completed an exercise and sports science degree in Sydney and relocated to the Gold Coast to work with Australian hurdles coach, Sharon Hannan, who had guided Sally Pearson to Olympic gold in 2012.
= Later career =
Clay ran 12.94 to win at the 2020 Melbourne Track Classic. The following year, she opened her season with 12.84 in Brisbane and followed this with a 12.72 in Canberra, both meeting the automatic qualifying standard for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.{{Cite web |title=How Hannan moulded Clay into Australia’s next top sprint hurdler |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/news/feature/liz-clay-sprint-hurdles-australia-sharon-hannan |website=worldathletics.org}}
At the Tokyo Olympics Clay ran 12.87 seconds to finish second in her heat and reach the semi-finals, where she ran a personal best of 12.71 for third,{{Cite web |title=Athletics - Round 1 - Heat 2 Results |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-women-s-100m-hurdles-rnd1-000200-.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=28 August 2021 |work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |language=en-us |archive-date=31 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731041601/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-women-s-100m-hurdles-rnd1-000200-.htm}}{{Cite web |title=Athletics - Semi-Final 2 Results |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-women-s-100m-hurdles-sfnl-000200-.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=28 August 2021 |work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |language=en-us |archive-date=28 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828224100/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-women-s-100m-hurdles-sfnl-000200-.htm}} which was not fast enough to progress to the final.{{Cite web |title=Athletics - CLAY Liz |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1481456-clay-liz.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=22 September 2021 |work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |language=en-us |archive-date=22 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922003319/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1481456-clay-liz.htm}}
She competed in the 100m hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics.{{cite web |url=https://www.watchathletics.com/page/5853/women-s-100m-hurdles-results-paris-olympic-games-2024-athletics |website=Watch Athletics |accessdate=28 December 2024 |title=Women's 100m Hurdles Results - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics |date=10 August 2024}} She won the 2025 Australian Athletics Championships 100m hurdles race in Perth on 13 April 2025.{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/news/report/hull-gout-olyslagers-bol-perth-australian-championships-2025-tokyo|website=World Athletics|date=13 April 2025|title= Hull does double as Gout, Olyslagers and Bol also prevail in Perth|access-date=13 April 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{World Athletics}}
- [https://www.athletics.com.au/athlete/liz-clay/ Liz Clay] at Australian Athletics
- [https://athletics.possumbility.com/athletes/athlete6288.htm Elizabeth Clay] at Australian Athletics Historical Results
- {{AOC profile|name=Elizabeth Clay}}
- {{Olympics.com}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20241006175315/https://www.olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/liz-clay_1939819 Liz Clay] at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (archived, [https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024/atleta/liz-clay_1939819 alternate link])
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clay, Elizabeth}}
Category:Australian female hurdlers
Category:Australian sports scientists
Category:Olympic athletes for Australia
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics