Kelsey-Lee Barber

Kelsey-Lee Barber (née Roberts; born 20 September 1991) is an Australian track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw.[2] She won gold at the 2019 World Championships. Her personal best of 67.70 m ranks her 12th in the overall list.

Kelsey-Lee Barber
Kelsey-Lee Roberts in Busto Arsizio in 2017
Personal information
Birth nameKelsey-Lee Roberts
NationalityAustralian
Born (1991-09-20) 20 September 1991
East London, South Africa
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Weight72 kg (159 lb)
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportAthletics
Event(s)Javelin throw
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)67.70 m (2019)
Medal record
World Championships
2019 DohaJavelin throw
Commonwealth Games
2018 Gold CoastJavelin throw
2014 GlasgowJavelin throw

Barber is coached by her husband Mike Barber and is based at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Her training partner is Para-Athletics World Champion Jayden Sawyer.

Career

Barber made her international debut at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, finishing third with 62.95 m. She competed at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing without qualifying for the final. A back injury in early 2016 disrupted her preparation for the 2016 Summer Olympics and she finished 28th in qualifying.[3]

Barber had a break out year in 2017. She produced three consecutive personal bests in competitions in Turku, Lausanne and London. At the World Championships, she qualified automatically for the final and finished 10th. She finished the season with a silver medal at the Diamond League Final in Zurich and another personal best of 64.53 m.[2]

In 2018, she placed second at the National titles behind Kathryn Mitchell. Roberts threw a new personal best of 64.57 m at the Queensland International Track Classic in Brisbane on 28 March. In the 2018 Commonwealth Games Roberts received a silver medal with a 63.89 m throw.[4]

Barber won gold at the 2019 Oceania Athletics Championships with a personal best and championship record 65.61 m throw. At the Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern in July, she won gold and improved on her personal best, throwing 67.70 m. This also moved Barber to second on the Oceanian list behind Mitchell, and into 12th in the overall list.[5] She won the gold medal at the 2019 World Championships with a 66.56 m throw on the final. Barber moved from 4th place to the Gold medal position on the final throw.[6]

Competition record
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  Australia
2014[7] Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 3rd Javelin throw 62.95 m
2015[8] World Championships Beijing, China 20th (q) Javelin throw 60.18 m
2016[9] Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 28th (q) Javelin throw 55.25 m
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 10th Javelin throw 60.76 m
2018[10] Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 2nd Javelin throw 63.89 m
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 1st Javelin throw 66.56 m

Seasonal bests by year
  • 2008 – 45.54 m
  • 2009 – 46.10 m
  • 2010 – 49.29 m
  • 2011 – 48.74 m
  • 2012 –
  • 2013 – 58.58 m
  • 2014 – 63.92 m
  • 2015 – 63.78 m
  • 2016 – 59.02 m
  • 2017 – 64.53 m
  • 2018 – 64.57 m
  • 2019 – 67.70 m

Recognition

Personal life

Barber was born Kelsey-Lee Roberts, in East London, South Africa on 20 September 1991.[7] Her family moved to Australia in 2000.[12] She married her coach Mike Barber after the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[13]

References
  1. "2018 CWG bio". Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  2. Kelsey-Lee Barber at World Athletics
  3. Adams, David Polkinghorne, Melissa. "Harnessing the power of her mind". Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  4. "Sunette adds javelin bronze to Team SA medal tally". Daily Voice. Cape Town. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  5. Kelsey-Lee Barber puts down Olympic marker with personal best The Australian
  6. Report: women's javelin - IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 IAAF
  7. 2014 CWG profile
  8. "Javelin Throw Women – Qualification" (PDF). Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  9. Dutton, Chris (16 August 2016). "Olympic Games 2016: Canberra javelin thrower Roberts' Rio campaign ends in tears". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  10. "Kelsey-Lee Roberts". GC2018. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  11. Dutton, Chris (19 November 2019). "Canberra sport awards: Kelsey-Lee Barber, Nathan Lyon and Capitals win big". Canberra Times. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  12. Australian javelin thrower Kelsey-Lee Roberts looking to make impact at 2015 world championships in Beijing Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  13. Kelsey-Lee Barber uses Brisbane comeback as Olympic launching pad The Canberra Times
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