{{Short description|British javelin thrower (born 1986)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Use British English|date=February 2021}} {{Infobox sportsperson |name = Joanna Blair |image = |caption = |sport = Athletics | club = Luton AC |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|3|1|df=y}} |birth_place= Luton, England |death_date = |death_place= |pb = |medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Javelin}} {{Medal|Competition|Commonwealth Youth Games}} {{Medal|Silver|2004 Bendigo|Javelin}} {{Medal|Competition|AAA Championships}} {{Medal|Silver|2006 Manchester|Javelin}} {{Medal|Competition|British Athletics Championships}} {{Medal|Bronze|2014 Birmingham|Javelin}} {{Medal|Gold|2016 Birmingham|Javelin}} {{Medal|Silver|2017 Birmingham|Javelin}} }}
'''Joanna Blair''' (born 1 March 1986)<ref>{{cite web| url= https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/joanna-blair-14274507| title=Joanna Blair| publisher=World Athletics| accessdate=4 February 2021}}</ref> is a British javelin thrower who won the javelin event at the 2016 British Athletics Championships and England Athletics Championships, came second in the events at the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games, 2006 AAA Championships and 2017 British Athletics Championships, and came third at the 2014 British Athletics Championships.
==Career== Blair trained at Luton Athletics Club, and also worked as a sports masseuse.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite news| url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/oct/02/javelin-thrower-joanna-blair-suspended-failing-anti-doping-test| title= British javelin thrower Joanna Blair suspended after failing anti-doping test| work=The Guardian| date=2 October 2017| accessdate=4 February 2021}}</ref> In 2003, she won the English Schools Senior Championship javelin event.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/esg.htm| title=English Schools Championships (Girls)|publisher=UK Athletics| accessdate=26 February 2021}}</ref> She came second in the javelin event at the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games, behind Australian Annabel Thomson.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/high-standards-at-the-commonwealth-youth-game| title= High standards at the Commonwealth Youth Games| work=World Athletics| date=4 December 2004| accessdate=4 February 2021}}</ref> Blair competed at the 2005 European Athletics Junior Championships.<ref name=Guardian/> She came second in the 2006 AAA Championships.<ref name=Stats>{{cite web| url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/WAAAJT.htm| title=WAAA and National Championships Medallists - Javelin| publisher=NUTS| accessdate=15 March 2022}}</ref> She came seventh in the 2010 South of England Championships, with a best throw of 42.20m.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.pressreader.com/uk/kent-messenger-maidstone/20100618/285099930095766| title= South of England Championships| work=Kent Messenger| via=PressReader| date=18 June 2010| accessdate=4 February 2021}}</ref>
Blair came third in the javelin event at the 2014 British Athletics Championships.<ref name=Stats/> She won the javelin event at the 2016 British Athletics Championships, in a personal best distance of 57.44m, more than three metres better than her previous best.<ref name=Guardian/> It was the seventh best throw ever by a British female javelin thrower.<ref name=Guardian/> Later in the year, she won the England Athletics Championships with a best throw of 52.63m,<ref>{{cite magazine| url= https://athleticsweekly.com/featured/long-jumper-daniel-gardiner-england-47930/| title=Long jumper Daniel Gardiner knocks on door of eight metres with England win| magazine=Athletics Weekly| date=31 July 2016| accessdate=4 February 2021}}</ref> and she was named Luton's female sportsperson of the year.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/sport/stars-shine-brightly-luton-sports-network-awards-night-1269453| title=Stars shine brightly at Luton Sports Network Awards night| work=Luton Today| date=10 February 2016| accessdate=4 February 2021}}</ref>
In 2017, she competed at the Nitro Athletics team event in Australia.<ref name=Guardian/><ref name=DT>{{cite news| url= https://www.dunstabletoday.co.uk/sport/blair-take-usain-bolts-all-stars-nitro-athletics-event-1168966| title=Blair to take on Usain Bolt's All-Stars in Nitro Athletics event| work=Dunstable Today| date=22 December 2016| accessdate=4 February 2017}}</ref> She failed to qualify for the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London;<ref name=Guardian/> the qualifying distance was 61.50 metres.<ref name=DT/> She came second at the 2017 trial event for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, and was considered a contender for a place at the Games.<ref name=Guardian/> She came second to Laura Whittingham at the 2017 British Athletics Championships.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.thetimes.com/sport/athletics/article/joanna-blair-british-javelin-thrower-fails-drug-test-n726xmgq2| title=Joanna Blair, British javelin thrower, fails drug test| work=The Times| url-access=subscription| date=3 October 2017| access-date=19 May 2021}}</ref>
Blair served a four-year competition ban from 2017 to 2021 for an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for the anabolic steroid metandienone whilst attending the 2017 European Team Championships in French in June 2017.<ref name=AW>{{cite magazine| url= https://athleticsweekly.com/athletics-news/javelin-thrower-joanna-blair-handed-four-year-ban-102757/| title= Javelin thrower Joanna Blair handed four-year ban| magazine=Athletics Weekly| date=3 August 2018| accessdate=4 February 2021}}</ref> UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) did not accept her explanation that she had unintentionaly ingested the substance via a contaminated supplement. Her results at the European Team Championships were disqualified.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news| url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/45062411| title= Joanna Blair: Great Britain javelin thrower banned for four years| work=BBC Sport| date=3 August 2018| accessdate=4 February 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{British Athletics Championships women's javelin throw champions}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Joanna}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:English women javelin throwers Category:British women javelin throwers Category:British Athletics Championships winners Category:21st-century English sportswomen Category:Doping cases in the sport of athletics Category:English sportspeople in doping cases