Lina Nielsen
Lina Nielsen (born 13 March 1996) is a British sprinter,[1] hurdler and yoga instructor.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 March 1996 London, England |
| Home town | London, England |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | 60 kg (132 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event | 400 metres hurdles |
| Club | Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests |
|
Medal record | |
Career
She won the 400 m hurdles at the 2021 European Athletics Team Championships with 55.59. Nielsen has a twin sister, Laviai Nielsen, who is also an international athlete over 400m.[2][3]
Lina is also a yoga teacher, having undertaken her teaching training in Rikshikesh in the summer of 2019. She is now one of the yoga instructors on the fitness app Fiit.[4]
Achievements
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | European Junior Championships | Eskilstuna, Sweden | 8th | 400 m | 54.72 |
| 1st | 4 x 400 m relay | 3:34.36 | |||
| 2017 | European Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | — | 400 m sh | DNS |
| European U23 Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 4th | 4 x 400 m relay | 3:30.74 | |
| 2021 | European Team Championships, Super League | Chorzów, Poland | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 3:29.27 |
| 2nd | 4 x 400 m relay | 3:27.16 | |||
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 33rd (h) | 400 m hurdles | 57.42 |
| Commonwealth Games | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 11th (h) | 400 m hurdles | 58.95 | |
| European Championships | Munich, Germany | 21st (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 57.19 | |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 3rd | 4 x 400 m relay | 3:26.36 |
| European Championships | Rome, Italy | 7th | 400 m hurdles | 55.65 |
Personal life
Nielsen grew up in Leytonstone, East London.[5] Her mother is Egyptian-Sudanese and her father is Danish.[6] In 2017, she graduated from Queen Mary University of London with a degree in chemistry.
In August 2022, Nielsen revealed she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,[7] at the age of 17. She chose to keep her diagnosis private for nine years, but following a relapse two days prior to her World Athletics Championships heats in Oregon she decided to go public with her story.[8]
References
- "Lina Nielsen". IAAF. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- "Meet the GB twins going for gold in Belgrade". BBC Sport. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- Debbie Black (12 August 2015). "What It's Actually Like To Train With Professional Athletes". Elle. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- "THERE'S ELITE. AND THEN THERE'S LINA NIELSEN". fiit.tv. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- Ben Bloom (25 February 2017). "Laviai and Lina Nielsen driven by twin dream of a medal on British debuts". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- "Meet Team GB: 5 of our brightest stars set to compete this summer". The Standard. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- "Lina Nielsen: British 400m hurdler reveals multiple sclerosis diagnosis before Commonwealths debut". BBC Sport. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
- "Lina Nielsen British Athlete Reveals Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis". Sky Sports News. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.