The 2007-2008 domestic season saw Ellen compete in all major national events. She equalled her personal best of 1.91m set in 2006 at the Canberra Athletics Classic before finishing 3rd at the National Championships (1.81m).

The talented high jumper has been selected in the Target 2012 Squad.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:

High jump: 2004 - 1st (U20), 4th (open, 3rd Australian), 2005 - 1st (U20), 2006 - 1st, 2007 – 1st, 2008 - 3rd, 2009 - 2nd

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:

World Youth Championships: 2003 - high jump 10th (1.75m)
World Junior Championships: 2004 - qual round (1.75m)
Commonwealth Games: 2006 - high jump = 6th (1.83m)


PROGRESSION:

High jump
2002 1.76m
2003 1.82m
2004 1.82m
2005 1.90m
2006 1.91m
2007 1.86m
2008 1.91m

EVENTS / PBS:

High jump: 1.91m - Melbourne 9/03/06 & Canberra 26/01/08

RECORD(S):

Oceania/Commonwealth/national/national indoor record: 4.72m - Donetsk (UKR), 10/02/07
Oceania/Commonwealth/national/allcomers record: 4.62m - Melbourne, 25/03/06
Oceania/Commonwealth/national/allcomers record: 4.61m - Canberra, 26/01/06
National U20 record: 4.16m, March 1999

INTERESTING FACTS

A national level under-16 softballer, Ellen was talent identified as a potentially good athlete. Within two years, she was on the national team - selected for the 2003 World Youth Championships.

SPORTING CAREER

Making her international debut at the World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, Canada, Pettitt competed well, leaping 1.78m in the qualifying rounds and 1.75m in the final to place 10th. Later in the year, Ellen raised her best to 1.82m.

After claiming the national under-20 title and finishing fourth in open competition, she competed at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Grosseto, Italy but didn’t progress out of the qualifying rounds. Ellen’s season’s best equalled her 2003 effort.

In late 2005, Ellen made a major breakthrough, setting a new personal best of 1.86m and breaking it soon after with 1.90m - a Commonwealth Games A-qualifier. She continued that good form, equalling her personal best and winning her first open national title.

She also won the Victorian title with a leap of 1.87m at the MCG and claimed a new best of 1.91m at the IAAF World Athletics Tour meet in Melbourne.

As one of three Australian female high jumpers selected, Ellen competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and finished equal sixth with Claire Mallett.

The 2006-07 domestic season was solid for Ellen, who won in her home-town of Perth, finished second at the Telstra A-Series in Melbourne and successfully defended her national title.

The 2007-2008 domestic season saw Ellen compete in all major national events. She equalled her personal best of 1.91m set in 2006 at the Canberra Athletics Classic before finishing 3rd at the National Championships (1.81m). The talented high jumper has been selected in the Target 2012 Squad.

Family Connections
Ellen’s younger sister Brittany (born 1989) is also a talented high jumper, clearing 1.82m in 2007.