Lea Haggett

Background

Haggett was born in Dulwich, London, England and was a member of Croydon Harriers Athletics Club.

Career

She held the United Kingdom junior record for 23 years from 1991-2014. In 1986, she cleared 1.81 metres as a 14-year-old. In 1990, still only eighteen, Haggett was the United Kingdom"s number one female high jumper, winning the AAAs Championships with a personal best of 1.88 m, defeating Olympic finalist Janet Boyle.

She ended the season by competing at the European Championships in Split.

As the only British entrant, she managed 1.80 m and was eliminated in the qualifying round. Haggett began the 1991 season by improving her personal best to 1.91 m at a meeting in Chania, Greece on 2 June.

Although she would not improve on this for the rest of the year, she had another consistent season. In July, she cleared 1.88 m to finish second at the AAAs Championships behind Debbie Marti.

In August, she cleared 1.89 m for fourth at the European Junior Championships in Thessalonika.

Her 1.91 m best from the previous year being one centimetre short of the qualifying standard. At the Europeans, she managed only 1.75 m in qualification. She fared better at the Commonwealth Games, clearing 1.88 m to finish fifth in the final.

In 1995, Haggett was the United Kingdom number one for the second time, with a season"s best of 1.90 m.

All three cleared 1.85 m. At the World Championships in Gothenburg, she cleared 1.75 m and was eliminated in qualification.

She finished second to Debbie Marti who cleared 1.94. At the Atlanta Olympics, although failing to reach the final, she produced her best jump in a major championships with 1.90 m, defeating Marti, who cleared 1.85 m.

As of 2014, Haggett and Marti are the last British woman to compete in an Olympic high jump competition.

Atlanta would prove to be Haggett"s final major championships. As of 2015, Haggett"s best of 1.92 m from 1996, ranks her 11th on the United Kingdom all-time list. Her 1.91 m from 1991 when she was 19, stood as the United Kingdom junior record for 23 years.

Susan Jones equalled the record in 1997 before Morgan Lake broke it in 2014 with a clearance of 1.93 m.

Achievements

• AAAs National Champion (1990, 1995) United Kingdom National Champion (1991) AAAs Indoor Champion (1995).