Keri-Anne Payne (born 9 December 1987), is a South African-born British swimmer, specialising in marathon open water swimming, and long-distance freestyle swimming in the pool. She is a two-time 10-kilometre open water world champion, and an Olympic silver medallist.
 Payne at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh, 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Keri-Anne Payne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 9 December 1987 Johannesburg, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 67 kg (148 lb; 10.6 st) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle, medley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Warrender Baths SC Stockport Metro SC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Swimming career
editPayne was born on 9 December 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa, to British parents,[1] who registered her birth at the British Consulate. She started swimming aged 4, and was noticed aged 8 by British Swimming's national performance director Bill Sweetenham at a training camp in South Africa.[2] As a result, the family returned to the UK to live in Heywood, Greater Manchester, when she was 13.[1]
Payne attended Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School. Joining Stockport Metro, she has been coached since by Sean Kelly. Having broken the British junior 800-metre freestyle record in 2002, Payne's central financial support was cut after she failed to win a medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. As a result, Kelly suggested that she try open water swimming, allowing her to access additional central funding.[2]
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, she competed in the 200-metre individual medley and 400-metre individual medley swimming events, as well as the 10-kilometre open water event, in which she placed second and won a silver medal.[3]
At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, held in Rome, Payne won the 10-kilometre open water event. She finished first in a time of two hours, one minute and 37.1 seconds.[4]
In 2011 in Shanghai, Payne reclaimed the World Championship in the 10 km open water event, becoming in the process the first British athlete in any sport to confirm qualification for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[5] She took part in the 10-kilometre open water event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and finished fourth, four seconds behind the winner.
Payne trained at British Swimming's Intensive Training Centre at Stockport's Grand Central Pools.[1] Keri-anne then relocated to Edinburgh, where Payne joined Warrender Baths Club.[6]
In 2014, she won the LEN European Open Water Swimming Cup Super Final in Castellabate, Italy.[7]
In January 2017 Payne announced her retirement from competitive swimming [8]
Starting in January 2018, Payne will be co-presenting The Wave on UKTV channel W.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Kate Rew (20 September 2009). "How I got my body". The Observer. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- ^ a b "Keri-Anne Payne's goals for 2012 – Olympic gold and a wedding ring". BBC Sport. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ "British duo take 10km swim medals". BBC Sport. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
- ^ "Payne powers to 10km world crown". BBC Sport. 22 July 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
- ^ "GB swimmer Keri-anne Payne wins gold – and qualifies for 2012 Olympics". The Guardian. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ^ Magnay, Jacqueline (29 December 2012). "Keri-Anne Payne considers switching to the pool after the pain of fourth at London Olympics". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ "Payne makes winning return to open water". Swimming.org. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "Keri-anne Payne: Olympic medallist and two-time world champion retires". BBC Sport.
- ^ "The Wave". W. Retrieved 7 January 2018.