The fifth of a new Guardian Print Shop series featuring classic sports images from the likes of Gerry Cranham, Mark Leech and Tom Jenkins – yours to own for just £55 including free delivery
Those eyes! Having just crossed the line to win 800m gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens,
British athlete Kelly Holmes is pictured bursting into celebration. Part shock, part jubilation, her expression spoke volumes of her remarkable journey to success. Holmes’ career had been blighted by injuries, anaemia, asthma and depression, and her undeniable talent was frequently stymied on the greatest stage of all: at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta she competed with a stress fracture in her shin, narrowly finishing fourth in the 800m; at the 2000 Olympics in
Sydney she overcame a calf tear to win bronze. By 2004, aged 34 and injury-free for the first time, she targeted gold in the 800m and 1,500m. In both finals she waited until the home straight before powering to the front of the field, becoming only the third woman in history to do the middle-distance double. “I can’t believe it!” she yelled repeatedly after her 800m triumph. This image captures that feeling perfectly.