Jenny Simpson – It Hit Me

Carrie welcomes 3-time Olympian Jenny Simpson back to the show! They talk about her new puppy, gardening, missing her fourth Olympic team, getting through the pandemic, why training with her world-class training partners consistently results in world-class performances, and so much more!

Recorded August 30, 2021
Photo courtesy of NotAfraid2Fail

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Jenny Simpson

Bio courtesy of Bring Back the Mile

Jenny Simpson finished 10th in the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500 meters, running 4:07.76.

In 2020, Simpson won the Camel City Elite 3000 meters in 8:51.49, a flat-track indoor “world record”. The next week, she recorded a 14:58.67 for 5000m indoors (#3 U.S. all-time).

The 2019 USA 1500m runner-up won the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile for the record 8th time and 7th consecutive time, clocking an event record 4:16.1, and just edging U.S. rising star Elinor Purrier. In arguably the greatest women’s 1500m ever, Simpson finished 8th, clocking 3:58.42 at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

In 2018, the 3-time Olympian opened her outdoor racing season with an American 2 Mile outdoor and absolute record, clocking 9:16.78 at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. In July at the Müller Anniversary Games Mile: Diamond League London meet, she finished 4th in 4:17.30, a track PR (#2 U.S. all-time outdoors and #3 overall). Like the past 5 years, Jenny closed her season at the 5th Avenue Mile and for a record 6th consecutive year (7th overall), she claimed victory, in 2018, clocking 4:18.8.

At the 2017 USA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Simpson won her fourth straight national 1500m title, recording 4:06.33 to earn another medal shot at the World Championships. In July at the Müller Anniversary Games, Simpson finished 5th in the Mile, clocking 4:19.98 to become the second fastest American woman outdoors for the iconic distance.

At the 2017 World Championships in London, she won a 1500m silver medal with an incredible closing finish, clocking 4:02.76; her third medal at the Worlds (also, Daegu 2011 gold and Moscow 2013 silver) — jammin’ Jenny!

Simpson ended her stellar 2017 season with another 5th Avenue Mile title, an event record 6th overall (5th consecutive) with an event record tying 4:16.6.

With a seasoned flourish, Jenny won the 1500 meter bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, the first Olympic medal by a U.S. woman in the event, breaking the beam in 4:10.53 to make history. At the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., Jenny took the 1500m title in 4:04.74 to earn her third Team USA Olympic berth. Simpson capped her 2016 racing season by winning her event record 5th New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, edging Laura Muir of Great Britain, 4:18.3 to 4:18.5.

In 2015, she defended her USA 1500 title (4:14.86) in Eugene, and in September, she set a then track Mile personal record of 4:22.18 in Brussels, and two days later, Simpson secured a women’s event record fourth NYRR 5th Avenue Mile title, edging rival Shannon Rowbury, 4:29.0 to 4:29.3.

At the 2014 USA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Simpson won her first outdoor metric Mile national crown, breaking the beam in 4:04.96, and later in the summer of 2014, the world’s top Miler won the Diamond League title for her discipline. Jenny ended her stellar 2014 season by defending her NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile crown, edging fellow American Brenda Martinez, 4:19.4 to 4:19.6; it was her third FAM title. In addition, Track & Field News selected Jenny as the 2014 U.S. Women’s Athlete-of-the-Year and ranked her #1 in the world for the 1500m / Mile.

The 2008 & 2012 U.S. Olympian was the 2013 IAAF World Championship 1500m silver medalist (4:02.99), and later in 2013, she won the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile, clocking 4:19.3. In 2012 she took third in the 1500 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials to punch her ticket to London. At the 2012 USA Indoor Championships, Simpson won 1500 and 3000m titles (defended).

Simpson was the 2011 IAAF World Champion at 1500 meters, capping off a year in which she took home titles in the Mile and 3000 meters at the USA Indoor Championships, in addition to a runner-up finish in the 1500 meters at the USA Outdoor Championships.

In 2009 she broke the U.S. and North American record in the 3000m Steeplechase (9:12.50, later broken by Emma Coburn in 2014), finishing 4th at the IAAF World Championships and also became one of four American women to run under 4 minutes in the 1500 meters (3:59.90) at that time. That same year, in her final season at the University of Colorado, she broke five NCAA Division I records (1500m, 3000m SC, 5000m outdoors & 3000m, 5000m indoors) and also set the still standing NCAA indoor (and absolute) Mile record (4:25.91, her indoor track PR).

Show Notes:

TrackJenny | The Official Website of Jenny Simpson
Jenny Simpson on Twitter
Jenny Simpson on Instagram

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