Australian hurdler Michelle Jenneke will perform her trademark pre-race 'jiggle' dance for the final time at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 33-year-old, who formerly worked as a model, competes in the 100-metre hurdles on Thursday, 12 years after making her Games debut in the same city.
Jenneke first gained attention for her unusual pre-race routine at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona. She bounces side to side with a grin, hands on hips, wiggles her quad muscle, and shakes out nerves before setting up for the hurdles. She has said the dance helps 'put her in a good physical and mental space.'
Backlash and Resilience
During the 2016 Rio Olympics, Jenneke faced criticism for the dance. She responded: 'People can be very quick to build you up and then cut you down, but they don't know what's going on behind the scenes... a range of factors go on that affect performance. People think that by doing my dance I'm trying to draw attention to myself. I'm not.'
In recent years, Jenneke has overcome major setbacks, including a severe injury at the 2024 Paris Olympics. During the 100m heats, her right hamstring ripped off the bone and travelled 13cm up her leg. She spent six weeks in a knee brace and lost five kilograms of muscle from the leg. Recalling the injury, she said: 'I had a stick for a leg, which I have never had in my entire life.'
Personal Loss
The death of her mother, Nicky, in 2025 deeply affected Jenneke. She had texted her parents about visiting Sydney when her father Randal called with the news. Jenneke said: 'She had been sick for a number of years. So in some regards it wasn't really sudden; her health had been declining. But we didn't think it was going to happen as soon as it did.'
When asked if her mother was a fan of the 'jiggle,' Jenneke replied: 'Very much so!' She described her mother as 'a larger-than-life character' who was 'always so happy, positive and encouraging, not only to me but to so many other athletes.'
Final Games Legacy
Reflecting on her last Commonwealth Games, Jenneke said: 'I'd like people to think that I was a good, resilient athlete who knew how to have some fun with it.' The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow run from July 23 to August 2, with coverage on TNT Sports.
