John Steffensen
Steffensen (second from the left) after winning the bronze medal at the2009 World Championships4 x 400 m | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | 30 August 1982 |
Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) |
Weight | 71 kg (157 lb) |
Sport | |
Country | ![]() |
Sport | Athletics |
Event | 4 × 400m Relay |
Medal record |
John William Steffensen(born 30 August 1982) is an Australian formertrack and fieldathlete, who specialised in200and400 metres.He won silver at the2004 Olympicsin Athens. His personal bests were 20.79 and 44.73.
Biography
[edit]Born inPerth, Western Australia,toSouth Africanimmigrant parents, Steffensen competed in the2004 Olympics,and was a part of the Australian team that won thesilver medalin the4 × 400 metres relay.
Steffensen won thegold medalin the 400 m at the2006 Commonwealth GamesinMelbourne,with a time of 44.73, setting a new personal best. This has often been referred to as the greatest race of all time.[1]He won a second gold medal as the first runner in the 4 × 400 m Australian relay team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.[citation needed]
He boycotted the2010 Commonwealth Gamesafter a series of disputes withAthletics Australia,which he accused of mismanaging athletes.[2]
He is an old boy ofTrinity College, Perth,andGuildford Grammar School,Perth (92-96).
He was runner up toStephanie Ricein the 2013 Australian version of the television programCelebrity Apprentice.Since then, he has been making regular appearances on Nine Network'sWide World of Sportsas a co-host.
Steffensen collaborated with Athletics Australia to develop theNitro Athleticstrack and field series, which included variations on the traditional one-day athletics meeting with the intention of widening the sport's fanbase.[3]
Steffensen made his first step into motor racing at Sandown in 2017 driving a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series with Zagame Motorsport backed by Repair Management Australia.[4]He finished the championship in eighth and moved immediately into thePorsche Carrera Cup Australiain 2018 driving in the Porsche Centre Melbourne team.
References
[edit]- ^"Results of the 400m final at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games".Retrieved23 March2006.
- ^Gallagher, Brendan (9 September 2010)."Commonwealth Games 2010: Australia's John Steffensen to boycott Delhi games".The Daily Telegraph.London.
- ^Bolt launches Nitro Athletics in Melbourne.IAAF (2016-11-04). Retrieved on 2017-02-13.
- ^Olympian set for racing debut at Sandown.Speedcafe.com (2017-04-06). Retrieved on 2017-04-06.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- John SteffensenatWorld Athletics
- Athletics Australia profile
- John Steffensen - Dexion Brand Ambassador
- 1982 births
- Living people
- Athletes from Perth, Western Australia
- Australian male sprinters
- Olympic athletes for Australia
- Olympic silver medalists for Australia
- Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia
- Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- World Athletics Championships athletes for Australia
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- The Apprentice Australia candidates
- People educated at Trinity College, Perth
- People educated at Guildford Grammar School
- Australian people of South African descent
- Sportspeople of South African descent
- Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Porsche Carrera Cup Australia drivers
- Sportsmen from Western Australia
- Racing drivers from Perth, Western Australia
- Racing drivers from Western Australia
- Australian Athletics Championships winners
- Australian athletics biography stubs