Marian Joan Burnett (born 22 February 1976) is a female middle-distance runner from Guyana who specialises in the 800 metres. She competed in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games, reaching the second heat of the 800 metres on both occasions.
She won her first international medal at the 1999 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics, where she finished third in the 1500 metres.Central American and Caribbean Championships (Women). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-07-25. She went to study at Louisiana State University and, representing the LSU Lady Tigers track and field team, she took the 800 m NCAA indoor title in 2002.NCAA Division I Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-07-25. She competed for Guyana at the 2003 Pan American Games and after initially finishing third in the 800 m, she was promoted to the silver medal after event winner Letitia Vriesde was disqualified for excessive caffeine use.Grimes fails drugs test. BBC Sport (2003-08-13). Retrieved on 2010-07-25.
The following year she took part in the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships and also reached the semi-finals of the women's 800 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She attended the 2005 World Championships in Athletics but failed to progress beyond the heats. In 2006, after another appearance on the World Indoor stage, she reached the semi-finals of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.Burnett, Marian Biography. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-07-25. She went on to win her first continental title the next year, beating all opposition in the 800 m for a gold medal at the 2007 South American Championships in Athletics,Biscayart, Eduardo (2007-06-09). 6.91 Long Jump victory for Maggi over Costa - South American Championships Day Two. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-07-25. and also won a silver medal in the 1500 m with a national record time.Biscayart, Eduardo (2007-06-10). 14.57 Area Triple Jump Record for Costa as South American Champs finish. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-07-25. She reached the semi-finals of her event at the 2007 World Championships a few months later.
Burnett set an indoor national record of 2:02.27 for the 800 m at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships, although this was not enough to reach the final. She made her second Olympic appearance at the 2008 Beijing Games, being eliminated in the heats, and reached the semi-finals at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics.
Competition record Representing 1998Central American and Caribbean GamesMaracaibo, Venezuela12th (h)800 m2:14.586th1500 m4:44.711999Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsBridgetown, Barbados3rd1500 m4:35.562001Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsGuatemala City, Guatemala4th800 m2:08.292002Commonwealth GamesManchester, United Kingdom10th (sf)800 m2:03.522003Pan American GamesSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic2nd800 m2:03.582004World Indoor ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary11th (h)800 m2:04.48 (iNR)Olympic GamesAthens, Greece22nd (sf)800 m2:02.212005World ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland33rd (h)800 m2:09.882006World Indoor ChampionshipsMoscow, Russia19th (h)800 m2:07.18Commonwealth GamesMelbourne, Australia15th (sf)800 m2:07.13Central American and Caribbean Games Cartagena, Colombia4th800 m2:06.202007South American ChampionshipsSão Paulo, Brazil1st800 m2:03.572nd1500 m4:20.69 (NR)Pan American GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil4th800 m2:00.404th1500 m4:17.91 (NR)World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan20th (sf)800 m2:01.022008World Indoor ChampionshipsValencia, Spain8th (sf)800 m2:02.27 (iNR)Olympic GamesBeijing, China23rd (h)800 m2:02.022009World ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany21st (sf)800 m2:02.752010Central American and Caribbean GamesMayagüez, Puerto Rico3rd800 m2:04.454th1500 m4:22.56
Personal bests
Event Time (min) Venue Date 400 m 53.76 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States 21 May 2007 800 m 1:59.47 Palo Alto, California, United States 31 May 2004 800 m (indoor) 2:02.27 Valencia, Spain 8 March 2008 1500 m 4:17.91 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 27 July 2007 All information taken from IAAF profile.
References