Jill Hunter

{{short description|English long-distance runner}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Jill Hunter | image = | image_size =  | caption = | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|10|14|df=yes}} | birth_place = Hexham, Northumberland, England | death_date = | death_place = | sport = Athletics | event = middle/long distance | height = 170 cm | weight = 51 kg | club = Blaydon Harriers AC Valli Harriers | pb = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | athletics}} {{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }} {{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalSilver| 1990 Auckland | 10,000m}} }}

'''Jill Boltz''' (née '''Hunter''', born 14 October 1966) is an English former distance runner who represented Great Britain at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She won a silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. In 1991, she broke the World Best for 10 miles, with 51:41 in New York City.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alltime-athletics.com/w10milesroad.htm |work=Track & Field all-time |title=All-time women's best 10 miles road race |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> She also twice won the AAA Championships 10,000 metres title (1989, 1995).

== Biography == Hunter was born in Hexham, Northumberland, England, and was a member of Blaydon Harriers Athletics Club and later Valli Harriers.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418031801/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/hu/jill-hunter-1.html Jill Hunter]. Sports Reference. Retrieved 2018-03-08.</ref> She first came to prominence as a cross-country runner, finishing second to Angela Tooby at the 1988 UK world cross country trial, ahead of Zola Budd. At the 1988 World Cross Country Championships in Auckland she made the top ten, finishing ninth.<ref>[https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/jill-hunter-60805 Jill Boltz]. IAAF. Retrieved 2018-03-08.</ref> In August, she finished second behind Yvonne Murray at the AAA Championships in the 3000 metres in 8:51.51, earning Olympic selection.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001723/19880807/050/0050 |title=Trials Results |work=Sunday Sun (Newcastle) |date=7 August 1988 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=27 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003126/19880808/387/0029 |title=Alexander Results |work=Wolverhampton Express and Star |date=8 August 1988 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=27 March 2025}}</ref> Two weeks later, she ran her best ever 3000 metres at the Zurich Grand Prix, running 8:47.36. At the Seoul Olympics in September, she was eliminated in her heat, running 8:57.28<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.todor66.com/olim/1988/Athletics/Women_3000m.html|title = Women 3000m Olympic Games 1988 Seoul (KOR) - Saturday 25.09}}</ref>

Hunter finished in the top ten at both the 1989 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Stavanger and the 1989 World 15km Road Race Championships in Rio de Janeiro, placing seventh and sixth respectively. That year, she also won the AAAs National title at 10,000 metres, to earn Commonwealth selection for England.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=27 March 2025}}</ref>

At the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland in January, she won the silver medal behind Scotland's Liz McColgan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/auckland-1990/athletes|title=1990 Athletes|website=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3042/19/all|title=England team in 1990|website=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=14 October 2019|archive-date=4 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404120931/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3042/19/all|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/39853|title=Athletes and results|website=Commonwealth Games Federation}}</ref> Later that year, she finished eighth in the 10,000 metres final at the European Championships in Split.

Hunter had perhaps the best year of her career in 1991. In April, she broke Cathy O'Brien's 10 mile World Best on the roads, with 51:41 in New York City. In June, at the European Cup in Frankfurt, she ran her lifetime best 10,000 m with 31:07.88, to finish second behind Kathrin Ullrich who ran 31:03.62. This performance moved her to fifth on the world all-time list at the time. In July she ran 48:19 for 15 km on the roads, which at the time, ranked her sixth on the world all-time list. As the world's number three (after McColgan and Ullrich) she was a serious medal contender in the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Tokyo, however she struggled in the humid conditions and finished ninth in the final in 32:24.55<ref>http://www.todor66.com//athletics/world/1991/Women_10000.html {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>

In 1992, Hunter achieved her third top ten finish at the World Cross Country Championships, finishing eighth in Boston. In the summer, she ran her career best 5000 metres with 15:09.98 in Hechtel. Then in August, at the Barcelona Olympics, she finished 10th in the 10,000 metres final in 31:46.49.<ref>http://www.todor66.com/olim/Athletics/Women_10000m.html{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> After struggling with injuries, Hunter returned to win her second AAAs 10,000 m title in 1995 and earn selection for the World Championships in Gothenburg,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=27 March 2025 }}</ref> where she finished 15th in the 10,000 metres final.

As of 2022, Hunter ranks seventh on the UK all-time list for 10,000 m (31:07 in 1991), 11th on the 10 km road (31.42 in 1989) and eighth on the 15 km road (48:19 in 1991), while her 10-mile road best (51:41 in 1991) still ranks third on the UK all-time list, with Paula Radcliffe and Eilish McColgan being the only British women to have gone faster.

==Personal life== Hunter married Danny Boltz, a Swiss-born Australian distance runner, who represented Switzerland at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in the Marathon.<ref>[http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/my-killer-session-jill-boltz-45308 My killer session – Jill Boltz]. ''Athletics Weekly'' (2016-06-28). Retrieved 2018-03-08.</ref>

==National titles== *AAAs National 10,000 metres Champion (1989, 1995)

==International competitions== {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} !colspan="6"|Representing {{GBR2}} / {{ENG}} |- |rowspan=2|1988 |World Cross Country Championships |Auckland, New Zealand |9th |6 km | 19:46 |- |Olympic Games |Seoul, South Korea |20th (h) |3000 m |8:57.28 |- |rowspan=2|1989 |World Cross Country Championships |Stavanger, Norway |7th |6 km | 23:00 |- |World Road Race Championships |Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |6th |15 km | 50:34 |- |rowspan=2|1990 |Commonwealth Games |Auckland, New Zealand |bgcolor="silver"| 2nd |10,000 m | 32:33.21 |- |European Championships |Split, Yugoslavia |8th |10,000 m |32:10.15 |- |rowspan=2|1991 |European Cup |Frankfurt, Germany |bgcolor="silver"| 2nd |10,000 m | 31:07.88 |- |World Championships |Tokyo, Japan |9th |10,000 m |32:24.55 (31:55.55) |- |rowspan=2|1992 |World Cross Country Championships |Boston, United States |8th |6.4 km | 21:39 |- |Olympic Games |Barcelona, Spain |10th |10,000 m |31:46.49 |- |1995 |World Championships |Gothenburg, Sweden |15th |10,000 m |32:24.93 (32:22.93) |} '''Notes:''' *(h) Indicates overall position achieved in qualifying round. *(#) indicates superior time achieved in qualifying round.

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Jill}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:English women long-distance runners Category:British women long-distance runners Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1990 Commonwealth Games Category:Medallists at the 1990 Commonwealth Games Category:20th-century English sportswomen Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics