Domestic Championships Record
1993 – 1st UK Championships 800m, 1st AAA Championships 800m
1994 – 1st AAA Championships 1500m
1995 – 1st UK Championships 800m, 1st AAA Championships 800m
1996 – 1st AAA Championships 800/1500m
1997 – 1st UK Championships 800m
1999 – 1st AAA Championships 800m
2000 – 1st AAA Championships 800m
2001 – 1st AAA Championships 800m
2002 – 1st AAA Championships 1500m
2004 – 1st AAA Indoor Championships 800m, 1st AAA Championships 800m


Major Championships Record
Olympic Games – 1996 4th 800m, 11th 1500m; 2000 3rd 800m, 7th 1500m; 1st 800m/1500m
World Championships – 1993 5sf 800m; 1995 3rd 800m, 2nd 1500m; 1997 DNF h 1500m; 1999 4sf 800m; 2001 6th 800m; 2003 2nd 800m, DNS h 1500m
European Championships – 1994 2nd 1500m, 2002 3rd 800m, 4h 1500m
Commonwealth Games – 1994 1st 1500m, 1998 2nd 1500m, 2002 1st 1500m


Other noteworthy performances
1994 – 3rd World Cup 1500m
1995 – 2nd Grand Prix Final 800m
2001 – 2nd Grand Prix Final 800m
2003 – 2nd World Indoor Championships 1500m
2004 – 9th World Indoor Championships 1500m (fell), 1st World Athletics Final 1500m


Holmes was a talented youngster in the 1980s, having won English Schools titles but having gone into the army, athletics was no longer priority until 1993, when Holmes made a tremendous return to the sport. After making the semi-finals in the 800m at the World Championships, Kelly made her breakthrough over 1500m in 1994, winning the European silver medal and the Commonwealth title.

Holmes continued to improve in 1995, winning two world medals in Gothenburg at 800m and 1500m but 1996 was the start of a catalogue of injury problems. Holmes was diagnosed with a stress fracture at the Olympic Games in Atlanta but running through the pain, Holmes was pipped on the line for the bronze in the 800m and having led until the last lap in the 1500m, Kelly drifted back into 11th place and did not compete again in 1996.

Kelly returned stronger in 1997 and prior to the World Championships, the Briton was unbeaten but the gold medal favourite was struck down by injury in the heats of the 1500m, and limped off the track with a calf injury.

Holmes returned late in the 1998 season to win Commonwealth silver but injuries wrecked most of the 1999 and 2000 season. Her participation at the 2000 Olympic Games looked in doubt but despite only six-weeks of training, Holmes won a bronze medal in the 800m, and was seventh in the 1500m.

After a solid 2001 season, Holmes regained her Commonwealth 1500m title in 2002 and won a bronze in the European 800m but in 2003, Holmes decided to train with Maria Mutola and her coach, Margo Jennings, who helped her steer clear of injuries.

Holmes won 800m silver behind Mutola at the 2003 World Championships but Holmes finally fulfilled her potential at the 2004 Olympic Games, winning a spectacular two gold medals.

Having not been fancied to win medals in either events prior to Athens, Holmes eased through her 800m heat but looked like the gold medal favourite, having set a season’s best of 1:57.98 to qualify as the fastest for the final. Two days later, Kelly sat off Jearl Miles Clark’s early pace in the 800m but moved up behind Mutola in the final 300m and in the final 200m, Holmes was in medal contention and in a titanic homestraight battle with Mutola, Holmes came out on top, in a truly memorable race.

Having looked equally supreme in the 1500m heats and semi-finals, Holmes stormed to the 1500m title, as she set a British record of 3:57.90 to defeat the world champion Tatyana Tomashova in the final. Consequently, Kelly was given a knighthood.

Holmes decided to continue her lucrative career and pinpointed the European Indoor Championships and World Championships as major goals for 2005 but