Midlands' Olympic legends: Denise Lewis

Great Britain's Denise Lewis celebrates winning the Gold medal in the Women's Heptathlon at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia Credit: Toby Melville/PA Archive/Press Association Images

  • Date of Birth: 27/08/1972

  • Place of Birth: West Bromwich

  • Sport: Athletics

  • Event: Heptathlon and Long Jump

  • Games Competed: Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004

  • Olympic Bronze – Atlanta 1996 – Heptathlon

  • Olympic Gold – Sydney 2000 – Heptathlon

Denise Lewis grew up in Wolverhampton with her mother, attending the Regis School in Tettenhall.

After winning a gold medal in the Heptathlon at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Denise Lewis claimed an Olympic bronze medal in Atlanta in 1996.

With another Commonwealth gold medal under her belt and two silver medals at the World Championships, Lewis was set for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

After the defending World and Olympic Champions both had to withdraw due to injury during the event, this gave Lewis an advantage.

In the final event, her time of 2:16.83 in the 800 meters, was enough to retain first place, becoming the first British female to win an Olympic gold medal in a multi event competition since Mary Peters in 1972.

The defence of her Olympic title in Athens in 2004 was cut short, when she was forced to withdraw with two events to go.