Jane Saville
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's Athletics | ||
 |
2004 Athens | 20km walk |
Jane Saville (born November 5, 1974 in Sydney) is an Australian race walker who won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
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 three Olympics, with a midfield result in 1996. However, she became a household name at the Sydney games during an emotional disqualification. Leading the 20 kilometre walk and into the stadium's tunnel, Saville was disqualified for an illegal gait (a very common event in race walking - the previous leader of the event had already been disqualified). Saville collapsed in tears; afterwards, when asked what she needed, she infamously replied "A gun to shoot myself" [1]. Saville recovered her composure soon after and, at least publicly, was 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," [2].
Saville has also won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, in the 10 kilometre walk in 1998 and 2002 and in the 20 kilometre walk in 2006. She has won the Australian women's race walking championship five times. She was the Australian flagbearer at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
She is coached by her husband, Matt White , a professional cyclist. She splits her time between Sydney and Oliva, Spain. Her sister, Natalie Saville, is also a race walker and finished second to her at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Saville has completed a Bachelor's degree in social science from the University of New South Wales.