Laviai Nielsen
British sprinter (born 1996) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laviai Nielsen (born 13 March 1996[1]) is a British sprinter specialising in the 400 metres. She won several medals as a member of the Great Britain 4x400 metres relay teams, including silver at the 2017 World Championships in the women's 4 x 400 metres, and at the 2023 World Championships in the mixed 4 x 400 metres, and bronze in the women's 4 x 400 metres at the 2022 World Championships. She won two bronze medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics as part of both British 4 x 400 metres relay teams, mixed and women.
![]() Nielsen in 2017 | |
Personal information | |
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Nationality | British |
Born | (1996-03-13) 13 March 1996 (age 28) |
Home town | London, England |
Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) |
Weight | 58 kg (128 lb) |
Sport | |
Sport | Athletics |
Event | 400 metres |
Club | Enfield and Haringey AC |
Achievements and titles | |
Personal bests |
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Medal record |
In 2015, she took a gold medal in the 400 m at the European Junior Championships.
Nielsen has an identical twin sister, Lina Nielsen, who is also an international athlete in the same events, but who has moved into 400-metre hurdles in recent years.[2][3]
In August 2022, Laviai disclosed that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the summer of 2021.[4] Her twin sister, Lina, had revealed that she was suffering from the same condition two weeks earlier, having been diagnosed in 2013, when she was 17. As MS has a genetic element, Laviai was considered to be at higher risk of the illness following Lina's diagnosis.[5] Laviai and Lina received support through the diagnosis from friend and Paralympic champion, Kadeena Cox, who took up paralympic sport after her own MS diagnosis[6] Despite the diagnosis, Laviai, and her sister, continue to compete in Olympic athletics rather than para-athletics.