{{Short description|Australian athlete (born 2005)}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Jemma Pollard | birth_name = | image = | caption = | nationality = | sport = Athletics | event = Sprint | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2005|4|18|df=yes}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = | pb = '''400m:''' 51.73s (Perth, 2026) | <!-- Medal record --> | show-medals = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's athletics}} {{MedalCountry|{{Flagu|Australia}} }} {{Medal|Competition|World Indoor Championships}} {{Medal|Bronze|2025 Nanjing|4x400 m relay}} {{MedalCompetition|World U20 Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2024 Lima|4x400 m relay}} }} '''Jemma Pollard''' (born 18 April 2005) is an Australian sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. She won a bronze medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships and a silver medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2024 World U20 Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/jemma-pollard-14919918|website=World Athletics|accessdate=12 March 2025|title=Jemma Pollard}}</ref>
==Biography== Pollard is a member of Newcastle Runners.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/8585532/newcastle-athlete-jemma-pollard-eyes-dual-international-stages/|website=Newcastle Herald|title= Newcastle's Jemma Pollard makes step up at Australian Athletics Championships|first=Josh|last=Callinan|date= April 10, 2024|accessdate=12 March 2025}}</ref> She was a gold medalist in the 400 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2022 Oceania U18 Athletics Championships in Mackay in June 2022.<ref>{{cite web|website=Newcastle Herald|url= https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7791900/oceania-experience-leaves-jemma-pollard-ashlyn-blackstock-and-ella-osborne-wanting-more/ |title= Lake Macquarie athletes Ashlyn Blackstock, Jemma Pollard and Ella Osborne medal at Oceania Athletics Championships|date=24 June 2022|first=Renee|last=Valentine|accessdate=12 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7185106?eventId=204596&gender=W|website=World Athletics|accessdate=12 March 2025|title= Oceania U18 Championships|date=9 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7185106?eventId=10229511&gender=W |website=World Athletics|accessdate=12 March 2025|title= Oceania U18 Championships|date=7 June 2022}}</ref>
Pollard finished third at Stawell Gift in April 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://commonwealthgames.com.au/lacey-and-mannix-power-storm-home-to-win-stawell-gifts/|website=Commonwealth Games|accessdate=12 March 2025|title= LACEY AND MANNIX-POWER STORM HOME TO WIN STAWELL GIFTS|date=2 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Craig|last=Kerry|date=1 April 2024|title= Newcastle's Jemma Pollard finishes on the podium at Stawell Gift|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/8576356/newcastles-jemma-pollard-finishes-on-the-podium-at-stawell-gift/|website=Newcastle Herald|accessdate=12 March 2025}}</ref> She won silver in the women's {{nowrap|4 × 400 m}} relay at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://olympics.com/en/news/world-athletics-u20-championships-2024-australia-medals-final-day-report|website=Olympics.com|title= World Athletics U20 Championships 2024: Australia record their best medal haul with three silvers and a bronze on final day |date=1 September 2024|accessdate=12 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/8748489/torrie-lewis-claims-silver-at-under-20-world-championships/|website=Newcastle Herald|title= World under-20 silver for Newcastle's Jemma Pollard in 4x400m relay|first=Josh|last=Callinan|date=September 1, 2024|accessdate=12 March 2025}}</ref>
Pollard won bronze at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China in the Women's 4 × 400 metres relay alongside Ellie Beer, Ella Connolly and Bella Pasquali.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7136586?eventId=204610|date=23 March 2025 |title=World Athletics Indoor Championships |access-date=17 March 2026| website=World Athletics}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.athletics.com.au/news/world-champions-and-emerging-sprinters-named-on-australian-team-for-world-athletics-indoor-championships/|title= WORLD CHAMPIONS AND EMERGING SPRINTERS NAMED ON AUSTRALIAN TEAM FOR WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS|date=12 March 2025|accessdate=12 March 2025|website=Athletics.com.au}}</ref> Pollard competed at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China in the Women's 4 × 400 metres relay in May 2025, helping the Australian team qualify for the 2025 World Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.watchathletics.com/page/6610/women-s-4x400-metres-relay-world-athletics-relays-championships-2025 | website=Watch Athletics|accessdate=13 May 2025|date=11 May 2025|title= Women's 4x400 Metres Relay - World Athletics Relays Championships 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.athletics.com.au/news/world-champions-and-emerging-sprinters-named-on-australian-team-for-world-athletics-indoor-championships/|title= WORLD CHAMPIONS AND EMERGING SPRINTERS NAMED ON AUSTRALIAN TEAM FOR WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS|date=12 March 2025|accessdate=12 March 2025|website=Athletics.com.au}}</ref> Pollard was subsequently selected for the Australian team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, where she again ran in the women's x 400 metres relay.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7190593?eventId=204596 |website=World Athletics|accessdate=20 September 2025|title= World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025|date=20 Sep 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.athletics.com.au/news/green-and-gold-to-shine-in-tokyo-with-largest-athletics-team-yet/|title= GREEN AND GOLD TO SHINE IN TOKYO WITH LARGEST ATHLETICS TEAM YET |website=Athletics.com.au|accessdate=3 September 2025|date=3 September 2025}}</ref>
In Canberra in January 2026, she ran a personal best 52.18 seconds for the 400 metres to win the Capital Athletics Open and Under 20 Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.athletics.com.au/news/myers-leads-world-leading-australians-in-early-2026-frenzy/|website=Athletics.com.au|accessdate=28 Jan 2026|title= MYERS LEADS WORLD-LEADING AUSTRALIANS IN EARLY 2026 FRENZY|first=Lachlan|last=Moorhouse|date=26 Jan 2025}}</ref> Pollard ran a personal best to win the 400 metres at the Perth Track Classic on 14 February 2026, winning with a time of 51.73 seconds, before also winning the following month over 400 m at the Adelaide Invitational.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.athletics.com.au/news/olympic-finalist-bol-ignites-perth-track-classic-to-kick-start-chemist-warehouse-summer-series/#:~:text=On%20a%20sizzling%20day%20at,Marschall%20provided%20strong%20supporting%20acts.|website=Athletics.com.au|accessdate=15 Feb 2026|title= OLYMPIC FINALIST BOL IGNITES PERTH TRACK CLASSIC TO KICK-START CHEMIST WAREHOUSE SUMMER SERIES|date=14 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url= https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7232367?eventId=10229511&gender=W |title=Perth Track Classic |access-date=15 Feb 2026|date=14 Feb 2026| website=World Athletics}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= HOMETOWN HERO MURPHY SALUTES WHILE WILLIAMS FIRES AT ADELAIDE INVITATIONAL|url= https://www.athletics.com.au/news/hometown-hero-murphy-salutes-while-williams-fires-at-adelaide-invitational/|website=Athletics.com.au |date=15 March 2026|accessdate=17 March 2026}}</ref> The following month, Pollard won the 400m title in 52.79 at the NSW State Championships.<ref>{{cite web|title=TOP 10 PERFORMANCES FROM NSW AND VICTORIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS|date=25 March 2026|accessdate=28 March 2026|url= https://insideathletics.com.au/blog/top-10-performances-from-nsw-and-victorian-championships/|website=Inside Athletics}}</ref>
==Personal life== She is from Newcastle, New South Wales.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2024/05/31/newcastle-teenager-chasing-olympic-dream/|date=31 May 2024|website=NBN News|title= Newcastle teenager chasing Olympic dream|first=Jack|last=Howard|accessdate=12 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.cessnockadvertiser.com.au/story/8748489/torrie-lewis-claims-silver-at-under-20-world-championships/|website=Cessnock Advertiser|accessdate=12 March 2025|title= World under-20 silver for Newcastle's Jemma Pollard in 4x400m relay|date=1 September 2024}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pollard, Jemma}} Category:Living people Category:2005 births Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen Category:Sportspeople from Newcastle, New South Wales Category:Australian women sprinters Category:Sportswomen from New South Wales Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Australia