Martyn Rooney

Martyn Rooney

Rooney at the 2016 European Athletics Championships
Personal information
Born	(1987-04-03) 3 April 1987 (age 29) Croydon, South London
Height	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight	81 kg (179 lb)
Spouse(s)	Kate Dennison
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Sport	Running
Event(s)	400 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	400m: 44.45s (Beijing 2015)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games 2008 Beijing 4x400m relay World Championships 2009 Berlin 4×400 m relay 2015 Beijing 4×400 m relay European Championships 2014 Zürich 400 m 2014 Zürich 4×400 m relay 2016 Amsterdam 400 m 2010 Barcelona 4×400 m relay 2010 Barcelona 400 m Representing Europe Continental Cup 2010 Split 4 x 400 m relay 2014 Marrakech 4 × 400 m relay Men's athletics (junior) Representing  Great Britain World Junior Championships 2006 Beijing 400m 2006 Beijing 4×400 m relay European Junior Championships 2005 Kaunas 4×400 m relay 2005 Kaunas 400m

Martyn Joseph Rooney (born 3 April 1987) is an English sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres event. He reached the 400 m final at the 2008 Summer Olympics and won bronze in the 4×400 metres relay. A mainstay on the anchor leg of the Great Britain 4 x 400 metre relay team, at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics he won a silver medal with the Great Britain relay team, and bronze in the 2015 championships . His personal best time is 44.45 seconds.

Born and raised in Thornton Heath, London, the second of four children born to Marie (née Martyn) and Liam Rooney Sr., Irish immigrants from Sligo and Westmeath, respectively, Rooney started running for Croydon Harriers just before starting his secondary school, The John Fisher School. He attended St James the Great Primary School, Thornton Heath where his mum teaches. As a result, he became an avid Crystal Palace F.C. fan. Initially training and competing at the middle distances; 800 metres and 1500 metres and doing cross country throughout the winter, Rooney's talent for the one lap sprint was discovered by coincidence when he stood in to make up points at a London fixture.

Rooney was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2005 European Juniors, held in Lithuania in July of that year. He achieved the Silver Medal in the individuals and gold with the relay team and on his return home was then asked to make up the senior's 4 × 400 m men's relay team at the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, held that year in Helsinki, Finland. Martyn was originally running only in the heat, but impressing the GB coaches with a time of 44.9 seconds, he was selected to also run in the final. Despite completing his leg in 44.8 seconds, Martyn and team mates Timothy Benjamin, Robert Tobin and Malachi Davis came in fourth, with a sub three-minute time. Rooney represented England in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia.

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