Benita Johnson |
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| D.O.B: |
6 May 1979 |
| Place of Birth: |
Mackay QLD, Australia |
| Resides at: |
Melbourne, Australia |
| Height: |
166cm |
| Weight: |
50kg |
| Occupation: |
Athlete |
| Scholarship: |
Victorian Institute of Sport |
| Club: |
Glen Huntly |
| Coach: |
Nic Bideau |
| Sport: |
Athletics: 1500m, 2km, 3km, 5km, 10km and half-marathon |
| Nickname: |
B |
| |
Reasons for
chosen sport: |
Benita turned down an opportunity in 1996 to run in the World Junior Athletics Championships in order to represent Australia in international junior hockey. In 1997 she accepted an athletics scholarship with the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
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| Other interests: |
Benita enjoys spending time at the beach, bodysurfing, shopping, movies, reading and going out to cafes.
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Career Highlights
| 2001 |
- World X-Country: Short course - 6th
- World Indoors: 3000m - 6th
- World Champs: 5000m - 12th
- IAAF Grand Prix Final: 3000m - 8th
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| 2002 |
- World X-Country: Short course - 4th
- C'wealth Games: 5000m - 6th
- IAAF World Cup: 5000m - 4th
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| 2003 |
- World X-Country: Short course - 5th
- World Champs: 10000m - 8th
- World Half-Marathon Championships: bronze
|
| 2004 |
- World X-Country: Long course - gold
- Olympics: 10000m - 24th
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Benita won Australia's first ever medal, male or female, at the World X-Country Championship when she won the Long Course event in 2004. This was also the first gold medal by and an Australian woman in distance events at Olympic/World Championship level.
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Records
- Sets new Australian Indoor Record for the 3000m in 2001
- Sets new Australian Record for the 5000m in 2001
- Sets new Australian Record for the 5000m twice in 2002
- Sets new Australian Record for the 3000m in 2003
- Sets new Australian Record for the 2000m in 2003
- Sets new Australian Record for the 10000m