Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK has congratulated Jessica Draskau Petersson on finishing in the top half of the field in the women’s Olympic marathon on Sunday.
Jessica, who has a dual Danish and Manx background, competed for Denmark at London 2012. She produced a strong run to achieve a personal best of 2:31:43 and finished, just eight minutes behind the winner, in 40th position out of the 107 athletes who completed the race.
An accomplished long distance runner and triathlete, she spent her early years in the Island and is a former winner of the Isle of Man Sportswoman of the Year award.
The Chief Minister said:
‘As well as supporting our Olympic cyclists, many people in the Isle of Man will have been following Jessica’s progress with great interest. She has represented the Isle of Man with distinction in the past, winning gold for the Manx team at the Island Games, and has family and friends here. Competing at the Olympics is the pinnacle of any athlete’s career and Jessica has certainly risen to the occasion with a fine performance.’
