Joanne Jackson

Joanne Amy Jackson (born 12 September 1986) is an English freestyle swimmer.

She is the sister of retired Olympic swimmer Nicola Jackson.

She was born in Northallerton and went to Richmond School, North Yorkshire.

Jackson won the 400 m freestyle event at the 2003 European Short Course Swimming Championships.

She swam in the 2004 Athens Olympics in the 400 m freestyle and 4×200 m freestyle relay.

She was partly funded by Richmondshire District Council.

In the 2006 Commonwealth Games she won a silver medal in the 400 m freestyle event.

On 11 August 2008 at the 2008 Summer Olympics she won a bronze medal in 400 m freestyle, finished 14th in the 200 m freestyle and 9th as part of the Great British team in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay.

On 16 March 2009 she set a new world record in the 400 m freestyle (long course) in a time of 4:00.66, beating her British rival and reigning Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington in the process, who also broke the previous world record with a time of 4:00.89.

On 26 July, she claimed silver in the 400-metre freestyle at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, finishing behind Pellegrini but ahead of Adlington.

She then went on to claim a bronze medal in the 4×200 m freestyle relay and a silver medal in the 800 m freestyle – the most medals that any British swimmer has ever won in a single world championships.

At the London 2012 Olympics, Jackson finished seventh in her 400 m freestyle heat in a time of 4:11.50 and was also part of the British team that finished in fifth place in the 4×200 m freestyle relay.

After retiring from competitive swimming in 2012, Jackson went on to establish the Joanne Jackson Swim Academy with former Olympic swimmer Grant Turner.