The part Peterborough AC played in a Commonwealth gold medal for Louise

Athletics - The PT caught up with one of the city’s greatest sportswomen

Over the years Peterborough AC has produced manytalented multi-eventing athletes.

But 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Louise Hazel stands above them all.

Louise competed in the 2011 World Athletics Championship, where she finished 15th and the 2012 London Olympics (27th), so gold in Delhi, India was her greatest achievement.

It was won thanks to an incredible second day. With Hazel some distance behind Canadian Jessica Zelinka after day one, Louise shattered her long jump best with a distance of 6.44m and then went on to smash her javelin best with a throw of 44.22m. She only bettered this distance once when she threw 47.38 in the 2012 London Olympics.

Retirement came in 2013 with her Delhi personal best of 6156 points placing her seventh in the all-time British heptathlon rankings and Peterborough AC can take some credit for her success.

Louise was born in South London in 1985, but spent most of her childhood in March where she discovered athletics at the age of 10, promptly joining March Braza AC. It was clear even in those early days that Louise had huge potential.

“I recognised before I joined Peterborough AC that I’d outgrown my local club in terms of coaching and facilities,” Louise said. “I constantly wanted better for myself, to keep growing and improving as I always knew that I had something special athletically.

“Most of my rivals were outside Peterborough AC, but training alongside Aileen Wilson, Julie and Anne Hollman and Caroline Pearce was hugely inspiring for a young athlete.”

Once at Peterborough the talented athlete made rapid progress winning English Schools 100m and pentathlon gold in 2000. In 2003 she was selected to represent England in the pentathlon in a fixture against France and Germany, scoring 5026 points.

In 2006 Louise won the British Universities Championships 100m hurdles gold. This was followed in 2007 by British Universities long jump silver and the England Athletics under 23 Championships 100m hurdles bronze.

Like all multi eventers Louise had her favoured events as well as her weaker disciplines.

“I loved 100m, 100m hurdles, long jump and javelin, but I struggled throughout my career with the high jump.” Louise added.

A good coach was therefore a must and she was not short of those in her time with PAC.

“Peter Robinson got me interested in combined events with his enthusiasm,” Louise recalled. “And Martin Green introduced structure and planning to my training with his organisation and great group of female talent.

“Dee Walker made me believe in my natural ability as a sprint athlete and built my confidence and Mike McNeil taught me how to throw a javelin and always believed in me as a heptathlete - he was an excellent teacher!”

But Probably the best decision Louise ever made was to appoint great local rival and fellow Olympian Julie Hollman as her coach.

“It was a game changer, Louise admitted. “After I didn’t make the Olympics in 2008 we teamed up as athlete and coach rather than rivals, and I made it to the World Championships in 2009 within nine months of working together. We were a great team!”

Louise is now based in Los Angeles and is running a successful fitness training business, with a gym on Holywood Boulevard.

Louise Hazel with her Commonwealth Games gold medal.