Desirèe Latifah N. Henry (born 26 August 1995) is a British sprinter who competes in the 100 metres and 200 metres. She won an Olympic silver medal in the women's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2016 Rio Games, and a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.
Early life Henry was born on 26 August 1995 in Edmonton, London. She attended Highfield Primary School, St Anne's Catholic High School and City and Islington College. She is of Antiguan and Guyanese descent.
Career Henry is the 2011 World Youth Champion in the 200 meters. Her personal bests are 11.06 for the 100 meters, 22.46 for the 200 meters and 52.27 in the 400 meters all set in 2016.
Henry was one of seven young people who lit the Olympic cauldron at the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. All were nominated by famous British Olympians, with Henry being nominated by decathlete Daley Thompson.
She ran the anchor leg as Great Britain won the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich.
Henry improved her personal bests in 2016 to 11.06 in the 100 meters and 22.46 in the 200 meters and earned selection for the Rio Olympics. She began sprinting over 400 meters in 2015 but soon returned to shorter distances. In Rio, she reached the semifinals of the 100 metres, running 11.09, having run 11.08 in her heat. She went on to win a bronze medal in the sprint relay, setting a new British record of 41.77, along with her teammates Asha Philip, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita.
She won a silver medal as part of the 4 × 100 metres relay team at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London and gold in the same event at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome.
On 5 July 2024, Henry was named in the British 4 × 100 metres relay squad for the Paris Olympics. She won a silver medal in the event, having run on the last leg in the heats.
International competitions Representing 2011World Youth ChampionshipsLille, France1st200 m23.252012World Junior ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain4th200 m23.342013European Junior ChampionshipsRieti, Italy2nd200 m23.561st4 × 100 m43.812014World RelaysNassau, Bahamas2nd4 × 200 m1:29.61World Junior ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon, United States4th100 m11.56 (wind: -1.0 m/s) —4 × 100 mDNFEuropean ChampionshipsZürich, Switzerland7th100 m11.43 (11.21)1st4 × 100 m42.242015World ChampionshipsBeijing, China4th4 × 100 m42.102016European ChampionshipsAmsterdam, Netherlands2nd (sf)100 m11.091Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil12th (sf)100 m11.093rd4 × 100 m41.772017World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom18th (sf)100 m11.24 2nd4 × 100 m42.122019World RelaysYokohama, Japan –4 × 100 mDNF2024European ChampionshipsRome, Italy1st4 × 100 m41.91Olympic GamesParis, France2nd4 × 100 m41.852025World ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan4th4 × 100 m42.07 Note: Results in brackets indicate superior time achieved in qualifying rounds.
1Did not finish in the final
References
External links
Desiree Henry at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (archived, alternate link)