Background
Jeal was born in Epping, Essex, England and was a member of the Harlow Athletics Club and then the Haringey Athletics Club.
Jeal was born in Epping, Essex, England and was a member of the Harlow Athletics Club and then the Haringey Athletics Club.
She represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympic Games. In 1982, she was second at the United Kingdom National Championships in the 100 metres hurdles. In 1985, now competing as Wendy Jeal and after several years on the edge of major championships selection, she competed in the 60 m hurdles at the IAAF World Indoor Games in Paris.
She ran 8.34 secs to reach the semi-finals.
Jeal had the best year of her career in 1986. She finished third at both the United Kingdom National Championships and AAAs National Championships, behind Sally Gunnell and Lesley-Ann Skeete, and ahead of 1984 Olympic silver medallist Shirley Strong.
At the European Championships in Stuttgart, she ran her lifetime best of 13.16 in the heats, to reach the semi-finals. In 1987, Jeal finished third behind Lesley-Ann Skeete and Kim Hagger at the United Kingdom Championships and third at the AAAs Championships behind Sally Gunnell and Skeete, earning selection for the World Championships in Rome, where she was eliminated in the heats, running 13.44.
At the 1988 AAAs Championships, incorporating the Olympic trials, Jeal once again finished third behind Sally Gunnell and Lesley-Ann Skeete, earning Olympic selection.
At the Seoul Olympics, she reached the quarter-finals, running 13.32. Throughout her career, Jeal finished second or third at senior national championships fourteen times, without winning. Her last top three result, was finishing third at the 1990 United Kingdom Championships.
3rd at the AAAs National Championships 100 m hurdles (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988).
3rd at the AAAs National Championships 100 m hurdles (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988) 2nd at the United Kingdom National Championships 100 m hurdles (1982) 3rd (1984, 1986, 1987, 1990) 2nd at the AAAs Indoor Championships 60 m hurdles (1980, 1985, 1986) 3rd (1978, 1987) AAAs Under 17 80 hurdles Champion (1977) AAAs Under 15 75 m hurdles Champion (1975).
