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The REAL-ity reason Jenneke is taking a break from athletics?


Michelle Jenneke recently revealed she’s taking some time away from athletics, and new reports linking her to a reality TV show could explain a lot.

According to New Idea, the jiggling hurdler is favourite to be the next Bachelorette.

“The producers want to sign her,” the magazine quotes a source.

“She really is the sort of person they are looking for.”

Jenneke could join fellow athletes Bernard Tomic (I’m a Celeb) and Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins (The Bachelor) in joining reality TV shows in recent times.

The timing makes sense after Jenneke recently announced she is taking a break after admitting the politics of the past 18 months have left her exhausted.

Jenneke placed fourth in the Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles final that sorely lacked the star power of the injured Sally Pearson.

Jenneke is stepping away from athletics for a while. Image: Getty
Jenneke is stepping away from athletics for a while. Image: Getty

As she did in the heats, the 24-year-old had her bounce back in the title race and a strong start suggested it might have converted into bronze.

But as much as she lapped up the crowd, it was those very fans who spiked her adrenaline just a bit too much.

“I got way too close to the hurdles and had to pull up and lost a lot of momentum there,” Jenneke said.

“It’s bittersweet. I’m pretty disappointed with the time and my position.”

Jenneke finished in 13.07 seconds, 0.08 slower than her heat, behind Nigerian winner Oluwatobiloba Amusan (12.68), and Jamaican minor medallists Jamaicans Danielle Williams and Yanique Thompson.

She said she’d had hardly had anything to do with Pearson this week even though the reigning world champion has been mentoring compatriot Brianna Beahan, who placed fifth in the final in 13.11.

Would she do well on reality TV? Image: Getty
Would she do well on reality TV? Image: Getty

And she revealed she had struggled for motivation to compete on the Gold Coast, conceding to being “pretty exhausted from it all”.

That included a high load of competitions along with the controversy that followed her Rio Olympics campaign where she bombed out in the heats and was accused of being unfit and lacking focus by team coach Craig Hilliard.

“I really just need a break,” she said.

“Two weeks ago my motivation to run out here was pretty low.

“I had to pull it together in the last two weeks just because the past 18 months have been quite draining.

“Not really the training side of it … it’s the other side of the sport that’s really been getting to me. All the political stuff.”

Jenneke said she would return to hurdling in time for a tilt at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

with AAP