John James Jackson

John Jackson
Personal information
Nationality British
Born (1977-04-11) 11 April 1977[1]
Bishop Auckland, Durham, England, United Kingdom
Residence Trowbridge
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Weight 106 kg (234 lb; 16.7 st)[1]
Sport
Country  United Kingdom
Sport Bobsleigh (pilot)
Club GB Team
Medal record
Men's Bobsleigh
Representing  United Kingdom
Olympic Games
World Championships
World Cup
European Championships
2014 Königsee Four-man
Europa Cup
2011 St. Moritz Two-man
2011 St. Moritz Four-man
2011 St. Moritz Four-man
World Junior Championships

John James Jackson (born 11 April 1977 in Bishop Auckland, England) is a British former bobsledder and Royal Marines commando.[2]

Career

He took up bobsleighing at the age of 28 and in September 2005 he trialled at the University of Bath and won a place in the Europa Cup Team. Just 4 months later he was selected to compete as a driver in the Europa Cup team. After his first successful season, he made his world cup debut as a driver in 2007. He became the British Champion in 2008. In 2011 John won gold and two bronze medals in the Europa Cup in St Moritz and was the first British man to ever do this.[3][4][5][6]

Thereafter, Jackson has had a meteoric rise through the ranks that meant he was given the nod as the main British driver.[7] Jackson's girlfriend Paula Walker is also involved in the bobsleigh sport. She too was recruited while serving in the British Armed Forces, in her instance with the Royal Signals. Paula has admitted several times the huge support that she gets from her family and John Jackson.[8] In June 2014 the couple announced that they were expecting their first child together. Jackson has three daughters from a previous relationship.[9]

In January 2014 Jackson led team-mates Joel Fearon, Stuart Benson and Bruce Tasker to a silver medal in the four-man event at the Bobsleigh European Championship.[10] He competed at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, guiding his crew to fifth place in the four-man event in 2014, 0.11 seconds off a bronze medal after recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He also competed at seven FIBT World Championships, finishing fifth in the four-man event in the 2013 Worlds at St. Moritz. He took a second place in the four-man competition at the Lake Placid round of the 2013–14 Bobsleigh World Cup, the first podium finish for a British crew for many years. Jackson announced his retirement from the sport in June 2016.[11]

Military service

Jackson joined the Royal Marines in 1996. He is currently an All Arms Physical Training Instructor (AAPTI) and holds the rank of sergeant.

Achievements

British Champion: 2008

World Championships:

Winter Olympic Games

John Jackson also achieved:

References

  1. 1 2 3 "John Jackson". BobTeamGB.org. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Corporal John Jackson". royalnavy.mod.uk.
  3. ↑ "Record week for Jackson". Eurosport. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  4. ↑ Howe, Claire (25 January 2011). "Record medal haul for British Bobsleighers is St. Moritz". ljvsm.com. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  5. ↑ "Commando had record bobsleigh medal haul in his sights". insidethegames.biz. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  6. ↑ "Two more medals for Jackson". Bath Chronicle. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  7. ↑ "From Bobsleighing to Afghanistan". BBC Sport. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  8. ↑ "British No.1 bobsleigh driver Paula Walker won the Junior World Championships". British Bobsleigh Association. 8 February 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  9. ↑ Rose, Neil (6 June 2014). "Sochi 2014 bobsleigh couple Paula Walker and John Jackson expecting first child". Bath Chronicle. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Hope, Nick (26 January 2014). "GB bobsleigh quartet warm up for Sochi 2014 with silver medal". BBC Sportt. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Former Wiltshire Olympian John Jackson retires from bobsleigh after hugely successful career". Gazette and Herald. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
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