View source for Tim Benjamin (sprinter)

{{Short description|Athlete from Wales (born 1982)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| image            = 
| name             = Tim Benjamin
| country          = [[Great Britain]] and Wales
| club             = [[Cardiff Amateur Athletic Club|Cardiff]]<br>[[Belgrave Harriers]]
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1982|5|2}}
| birth_place      = [[South Glamorgan]], [[Wales]]
| height           = {{height|m=1.83}}
| weight           = {{convert|76|kg|stlb lb|0|abbr=on}}
| turnedpro        = 1998
| retired          = 
| pb               = '''60 m''' 6.75 (2000) <br /> '''100 m''' 10.48 (2000)<br />'''200 m''' 20.67 (2001)<br />'''400 m''' 44.56 (2005)
| olympics         = '''2004'''<br />4 × 400 m relay – 5th place
| worlds           = '''2005''' <br />400 m – 5th place
| highestranking   = 3 (February 2006)
| updated          = 24 November 2006
| medaltemplates   = 
{{Medal|Sport | Men's [[sport of athletics|athletics]] }}
{{Medal|Country | {{GBR2}} }}
{{Medal|Competition | [[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|World Indoor Championships]] }}
{{Medal|Silver | [[2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2003 Birmingham]] | [[2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]] }}
{{Medal|Competition |[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Silver | [[2006 European Athletics Championships|2006 Gothenburg]] | [[2006 European Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
}}

'''Timothy David Benjamin''' (born 2 May 1982) is a former professional athlete from [[Wales]]. He specialised in the [[400 metres]], and in his teens was coached by Jock Anderson, in the same training group as [[Christian Malcolm]]. He then moved to live in [[Slough]] to be coached by Tony Lester; [[Marlon Devonish]] amongst others was one of his training partners.

As a youngster, he ran over [[200 metres]], and won several junior titles, including the [[1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics|World Youth Championship in 1999]]. Soon after, he began to concentrate on the 400&nbsp;m, and was selected for the relay squad at the [[World Championships in Athletics]] in [[Edmonton]] in 2001.

By 2002 he had established himself as one of Britain's best athletes, winning the British AAA title, and running in the successful [[Team GB]] squad at the [[European Cup (athletics)|European Cup]]. In the [[Commonwealth Games]] that year, he helped guide Wales to a silver medal in the controversial 4 × 400 metres relay, which was won by [[England]], and disputed by many, including the athletes themselves. It was during that year also that he earned a silver in the [[European Athletics U23 Championships]] in [[Poland]].

Following a number of injuries, he announced his retirement from athletics in 2009.

== Senior career==
He reached the semi-finals of the [[2004 Olympics]], and won the 400&nbsp;m race at the [[2004 European Cup (athletics)|2004 European Cup]]. Further achievements in the 400&nbsp;m came in 2005: he came fifth at the [[2005 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] and took silver at the [[2005 IAAF World Athletics Final|World Athletics Final]].

At the [[2006 European Athletics Championships]] in [[Gothenburg]], he won the silver medal in the [[4 × 400 m relay]] with the [[United Kingdom|British]] team, as the finishing sprinter, along with [[Robert Tobin]], [[Rhys Williams (athletics)|Rhys Williams]] and [[Graham Hedman]], in a time of 3:01.63. He finished sixth in the final of the individual event.

In late 2006, he announced that he was moving back to his hometown of [[Cardiff]] to be coached by former [[100 metres hurdles]] world record holder [[Colin Jackson]], whilst fellow Welsh relay member [[Rhys Williams (athletics)|Rhys Williams]] would also be moving back from [[Loughborough]].

Benjamin competed at the [[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 World Championships]] in [[Osaka]], but failed to make the final, recording 46.17&nbsp;s in the semis.

Benjamin suffered a number of injuries and decided to bring an end to his athletics career in mid-2009. Citing his disappointment in missing the [[2008 Beijing Olympics]], he said that "taking an individual or relay spot in the [[2009 World Championships in Athletics|Berlin World Championships]] from an aspiring [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Olympian]] would be disingenuous and unfair".<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/8160041.stm Benjamin quits as injuries tell]. [[BBC Sport]] (20 July 2009). Retrieved 2009-07-21.</ref><ref>Kessel, Anna (20 July 2009). [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/jul/20/tim-benjamin-retires-injuries Tim Benjamin retires from athletics]. ''[[The Guardian]]''. Retrieved on 2009=-07-21.</ref>

== Personal life ==
Benjamin is married to a sweetheart from his schooldays, [[Natalie Lewis]], an accomplished [[Welsh people|Welsh]] [[middle-distance running|middle distance]] specialist in her own right. They married in November 2007. His father is a highly regarded professor of Biosciences at Cardiff University.

==Personal bests==
''Last updated 6 April 2009''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Event
! Time (seconds)
! Venue
! Date
|-
| [[60 metres]]
| 6.75
| Birmingham
| 2000
|-
| [[100 metres]]
| 10.48
| Radyr Comprehensive School (Sports Day)
| 2000
|-
| [[200 metres]]
| 20.67
| [[Cardiff]], Wales
| 17 June 2001
|-
| [[400 metres]]
| 44.56
| [[Monaco]]
| 9 September 2005
|}
* <small>All information taken from IAAF profile.</small>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{World Athletics}}

{{Footer IAAF World Youth Champions 200 Metres Men}}
{{Footer World Junior Champions men's 4x100 metres}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benjamin, Timothy}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Welsh male sprinters]]
[[Category:British male sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Wales]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Wales]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain]]
[[Category:People educated at Radyr Comprehensive School]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists]]
[[Category:AAA Championships winners]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:21st-century Welsh sportsmen]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics]]