Jane Saville

Who is Jane Saville?

Jane Kara Saville is an Australian race walker who won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She was born in Sydney.

Saville, from an athletically-inclined family, competed in swimming and surf lifesaving events as well as walking as a junior athlete. She has competed at four Olympics, with a midfield result in 1996. In the 20 km racewalking event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in her home city of Sydney, when heading into the stadium's tunnel for the final stretch, Saville was disqualified for an illegal gait. Saville collapsed in tears; afterwards, when asked what she needed, she replied "A gun to shoot myself". Saville recovered her composure soon after and was publicly philosophical about her loss.

On her bronze medal in Athens, Saville stated "Nothing will make up for a gold medal in your home town, but you know this is where the Olympics began and any medal here, you know, I'm absolutely ecstatic with it".

Saville has also won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, in the 10 kilometre walk in 1998, in the 20 kilometre walk in 2002 and 2006. She has won the Australian women's race walking championship five times.