Olympic commentator Jazmin Sawyers' forgotten past as Voice UK star

The athlete and Paris Games BBC Sport commentator has packed an incredible amount into her career - including competing on The Voice UK.

Katie Archer
·Entertainment Reporter
Updated ·3-min read
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - AUGUST 19: Jazmin Sawyers of Great Britain smile prior to the women's long jump qualification round during day one of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 19, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
Jazmin Sawyers has racked up varied career achievements in athletics and beyond. (Getty Images)

As if winning medals at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games wasn't enough of an achievement, long jumper Jazmin Sawyers can also list Voice UK contestant on her CV.

She is part of BBC Sport's commentating line-up for athletics coverage from the Paris Games, but reality TV fans might also recognise her from another star turn.

Sawyers is just 30, but has an incredible number of successes to her name - here's what you need to know about the athletics pundit.

Read more: Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis was forgotten Strictly runner-up to Jill Halfpenny

Many of us would think that aiming for sporting success is so all-consuming that it leaves little time for anything else.

However, Sawyers has managed to fit a stint on The Voice UK into her career, working with will.i.am as her mentor.

In 2017, she took part in the ITV singing contest and won a spot on will.i.am's team in the blind auditions.

However, her time on the show was short lived as she lost out in the sing off rounds, but did admit to the judges that athletics would remain her priority.

Those who follow athletics might have been hoping to see Sawyers in the Olympic stadium at Paris 2024, looking to win a medal for the long jump.

Sadly, it was not to be as earlier this year she ruptured her Achilles tendon on her take-off leg, and despite successful surgery could not recover and train in time to compete.

She said: "It's bad, but I am looking ahead to rehab, recovery and the future. Obviously I'm devastated. I really thought this was going to be my year."

However, Sawyers is still at the Olympics as part of BBC Sport's team for athletics coverage.

This isn't the first time Sawyers has been through a tough experience - in 2020, she spoke to Athletics Weekly for their Love in Lockdown series about isolating 240 miles apart from boyfriend and 800m runner Guy Learmonth.

She said: "The whole lockdown thing, yes I’d like Guy to be here and he would like me to be there but we both know that the right place for each of us is in our own homes. There’s no animosity about that. It’s like, I get it – you have to do what’s better for you and your sports career because I’m doing the exact same thing."

ZAGREB, CROATIA - SEPTEMBER 8: Jazmin Sawyers of UK competes in Women's Triple Jump during the World Athletics Continental Tour Zagreb 2023 - 73rd Boris Hanzekovic Memorial at Ban Josip Jelacic Square on September 8, 2023 in Zagreb, Croatia. (Photo by Goran Stanzl/Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images)
Jazmin Sawyers has won medals in the long jump, 100m relay and bobsleigh. (Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images)

Long jump star Sawyers has won silver and bronze medals at the European Championships, as well as a silver at the Commonwealth Games and a gold at the 2023 European Indoor Championships.

She had a hugely successful career as a junior, too, winning golds in both the long jump and the 4 x 100m relay at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games as well as a bronze for the long jump at the World Junior Championships.

Amazingly, Sawyers also managed to add to her trophy cabinet at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics, where this time she competed in the bobsleigh and won silver, showing there is no end to her talents.

Sawyers is hoping to recover from her Achilles injury and be back in the competitive arena again soon.

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