About Martyn Rooney
Martyn Joseph Rooney (born 3 April 1987) is an English sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres event. He reached the 400 m final at the 2008 Summer Olympics and won bronze in the 4 × 400 metres relay. A mainstay on the anchor leg of the Great Britain and England 4 × 400 metre relay teams, at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics he won a silver medal with the Great Britain relay team, and bronze in the 2015 and 2017 World Championships. Individually, Rooney was twice the European champion at 400 metres in 2014. and 2016. A five time national champion, his personal best time of 44.45 seconds ranks sixth all-time in Great Britain behind national record-holder Matthew Hudson-Smith, Charlie Dobson, Roger Black, Mark Richardson and Iwan Thomas. == Career == Born and raised in Thornton Heath, London, the second of four children born to Marie (née Martyn) and Liam Rooney Sr., Irish immigrants from Sligo and Westmeath, respectively, Rooney started running for Croydon Harriers just before starting his secondary school, The John Fisher School. He attended St James the Great Primary School, Thornton Heath where his mum teaches. As a result, he became an avid Crystal Palace F.C. fan. Initially training and competing at the middle distances; 800 metres and 1500 metres and doing cross country throughout the winter, Rooney's talent for the one lap sprint was discovered by coincidence when he stood in to make up points at a London fixture.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.