Liz Clay

Elizabeth Clay is an Australian 100m hurdler. Her personal best of 12.71 at the Athletics at the [2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres hurdles|Tokyo Olympics] makes her the third fastest in Australian history.

Career

Early years

Clay was born in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia. She became interested in athletics after watching her younger brother Harry compete, and joined Hornsby Little Athletics as an under-10.
She made her junior international debut at the 2014 World Juniors in the 100m hurdles, but had to withdraw from the team when she broke her navicular bone weeks before the team departed. Clay then completed an exercise and sports science degree in Sydney and relocated to the Gold Coast to work with Australian hurdles coach, Sharon Hannan, who had guided Sally Pearson to Olympic gold in 2012.

Later career

Clay ran 12.94 to win at the 2020 Melbourne Track Classic. The following year, she opened her season with 12.84 in Brisbane and followed this with a 12.72 in Canberra, both meeting the automatic qualifying standard for the 2020 [Tokyo Olympics].
At the Tokyo Olympics Clay ran 12.87 seconds to finish second in her heat and reach the semi-finals, where she ran a personal best of 12.71 for third, which was not fast enough to progress to the final.
She competed in the 100m hurdles at the Athletics at the [2024 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres hurdles|2024 Paris Olympics]. She won the 2025 Australian Athletics Championships 100m hurdles race in Perth on 13 April 2025. She placed eighth at the 2025 Shanghai Diamond League event in China on 3 May 2025. In September, she competed at the 2025 [World Athletics Championships – Women's 100 metres hurdles|2025 World Athletics Championships] in Tokyo, Japan.