Aussie ‘jiggling’ star Michelle Jenneke makes sensational return in 100m hurdles

Australian athlete Michelle Jenneke, who was once a household name for her pre-race routine, has made a sensational comeback.

Australia’s jiggling sensation is back to her winning ways.

Michelle Jenneke, the Aussie hurdler who became famous for her “jiggling” hips, has secured a spot at this year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest in the 100m hurdles.

Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Competing at the 2023 Chemist Warehouse Australian Track and Field Championships in Brisbane, Jenneke won with a speedy 12.77, beating out Celeste Mucci and Hannah Jones.

It’s Jenneke’s fifth win of the Australian summer.

Michelle Jenneke is known for her trademark jiggle. Picture: Getty Images

The Aussie in Beijing during day six of the 15th IAAF World Athletics Championships. Picture: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for IAAF

“I’m really happy with that. I think that was my fifth World Championships qualifier and I got the win at nationals, so that means I’ll go to Budapest and that’s very exciting,” Jenneke said.

“This is only my second national title. I competed for a long time against Sally Pearson so… a kind of a difficult one to beat. I think there is more in the tank though and we’ll see what we can do later on in the season.”

Michelle Jenneke at Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The hurdles star went viral with a pre-race jig at the 2012 World Junior Championships and it became her trademark.

Jenneke was once a household name and at the 2016 Olympic Games she was sponsored by Coca-Cola, with her face was plastered across billboards in the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro.

Joining Jenneke in Budapest will be the high-flying Olympic silver medalist Nicola Olyslagers, who soared over 1.95m in the high jump to clinch Australian title number four, before the bar of 1.98m proved a stretch too far for the first Australian woman in history to clear two-metres.

Olyslagers defeated 23-year-old training partner Emily Whelan who cleared 1.86m.

Queensland sensation Torrie Lewis. Picture: CASEY SIMS

Teen sensation Torrie Lewis blazed out a time of 23.02 to complete the sprint double, defeating Ella Connolly in 23.16, as Olympic semi-finalist Riley Day posted her strongest result of the season in 23.24 for bronze.

The 18-year-old become the second youngest woman to win the Australian Open 100m title yesterday, and today’s 200m win added to her sensational weekend in her home state.

The men’s 200m was taken out by Jake Doran, prevailing over Yoshihide Kiryu from Japan.

Originally published as Aussie ‘jiggling’ star Michelle Jenneke makes sensational return in 100m hurdles