View source for Bronwyn Thompson

{{short description|Australian long jumper}}
{{for|the Australian rower|Bronwyn Thompson (rower)}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name     = Bronwyn Thompson
|image          = 
|imagesize      = 
|event          = long jump
|country        = {{AUS}}
|alias          =
|club           = QEII Track Club and Thompson Estate
|birth_date      = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1978|1|29}}
|birth_place     = Rockhampton
|height         = {{height|m=1.77|precision=0}}
|weight         = {{convert|68|kg|lb|0}}
|turnedpro      = 
|retired        =
|pb             = Long jump: 7.00m
|updated        = 
}}

'''Bronwyn Thompson''' (born 29 January 1978 in [[Rockhampton, Queensland|Rockhampton]], [[Australia]]) is an Australian former [[long jump]]er. She was the former Commonwealth record holder and holds the Australian record for the long jump. She has been ranked as high as number two in the world. Her greatest achievements include winning gold in the long jump at the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] and placing fourth at the [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Olympic Games]]. However, Thompson suffered numerous injury setbacks during her career and retired at the end of the 2008/09 Australian domestic season<ref name=retires>[http://issuu.com/insideathletics/docs/ia08final/7?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml Bronwyn Thompson retires]</ref>

Thompson was born in [[Rockhampton, Queensland|Rockhampton]] as the youngest of four children and moved to her current home of [[Brisbane]], [[Australia]] during primary school. As a child she excelled at both [[Track and field athletics|athletics]] and [[volleyball]], but eventually chose to focus on athletics. She missed selection on the Australian team for the long jump at the [[1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics|1996 World Junior Championships]], which resulted in her decision to take a break from athletics and concentrate on her studies.<ref name="Leaps and bounds">[http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21300559-5003425,00.html Leaps and bounds]</ref>

After completing a degree in physiotherapy Thompson returned to athletics in 2000, and later that year represented Australia in the long jump at the [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympic Games]] in [[Sydney]], narrowly missing a place in the final. In 2001, her performances continued to improve, and she broke the Australian long jump record, previously held by [[Nicole Boegman]].{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} In 2002, Thompson improved her Australian record with a jump of 7.00m, which remains her personal best. She was again restricted by injury at the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Manchester]], finishing sixth in the long jump despite going in as the favourite. At the [[2003 World Championships in Athletics|2003 World Championships]] in [[Paris]], Thompson finished seventh in the final, despite further injury concerns.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Thompson carried good form into the [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Olympic Games]] in [[Athens]] and produced a best jump of 6.96m, but narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth behind a trio of Russian athletes. A week later, however Thompson suffered a horrific knee injury at a meet in [[Rieti]], [[Italy]], which threatened to end her career.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} It took more than a year for her to return to competition, but at the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Melbourne]] she was able to once again produce her best form and dominated the long jump to win gold with a leap of 6.97m. Bronwyn went on to represent Australia at both the [[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 World Championships]] and the [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympic Games]], but was unable to qualify for the final at either event.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Thompson has continued to practice as a pediatric [[physiotherapist]] in addition to her athletics career, as well as serving as a director of Athletics Australia via her position as chairperson of the Athletes Commission.<ref name=retires/> She has been coached by Gary Bourne since 2000, was married to husband Jason Chipperfield in 2006 and has had 4 children (Jacob Chipperfield, Isabelle Chipperfield).<ref name="Leaps and bounds"/>

==Achievements==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Year
!Tournament
!Venue
!Result
!Event
|-
|2003
|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] 
|[[Paris]], [[France]]
|align="center" | 7th
|
|-
|2004
|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] 
|[[Athens]], [[Greece]]
|align="center" | 4th
|
|-
|2006
|[[2006 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]] 
|[[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]
|bgcolor=gold align="center" | 1st
|
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{World Athletics||name=Bronwyn Thompson}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090227015146/http://www.athletics.com.au/fanzone/athleteprofiles/bronwyn_thompson Athletics Australia profile]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080719122759/http://www.bronwynthompson.com/ Official website]

{{Footer Commonwealth Champions Long Jump Women}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Bronwyn}}
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian female long jumpers]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Australia]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Australia]]
[[Category:Goodwill Games medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 2001 Goodwill Games]]
[[Category:Athletes from Brisbane]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Queensland]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Australian physiotherapists]]
[[Category:Australian Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]