Jennifer Simpson (née Barringer; born August 23, 1986) is an American middle- and long-distance runner, formerly a steeplechaser. She won the gold medal in the 1500 meters at the 2011 World Championships, silvers at the 2013 and 2017 World Championships, and a bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the event.
Simpson is a former American record holder for the 3000 metres steeplechase. She represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics. She was the 2014 Diamond League 1500 m winner. Simpson won 11 individual American national titles. She is a four-time individual NCAA Division I champion.
Running career
High school
As a student at Oviedo High School, Jenny Barringer was a 5-time state champion in track and 3-time state champion in cross country. On 3 February 2018, Oviedo High School renamed their track Jenny Simpson Track in her honor. She also set Florida high school records in the mile, two-mile, 5000 m, and three-mile. Barringer finished 3rd in San Diego's Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 2003 behind winner Katelyn Kaltenbach of Colorado and Marie Lawrence of Nevada. In the regional, Barringer came on strong and won for the second straight year in identical times of 17:27, becoming the first Florida girl to ever win the Footlocker South regional twice. She finished 10th in San Diego's Footlocker cross country national championship in 2004.
Collegiate
At Colorado, Barringer won the 2006 NCAA Outdoor championship steeplechase in a time of 9:53.04. The following year, she won the USATF Outdoor steeplechase championship in 9:34.64.
She finished 7th in heats at IAAF World Outdoors in the steeplechase in a time of 9:51.04. She finished 7th at the NCAA Outdoors in 2007 in the steeplechase with a time of 9:59.81. She also ran at Drake Relays in the steeplechase in a time of 9:44.31. In April 2007, she finished 4th in 5,000m at Stanford in a time of 15:48.24.
At the time of her 2008 Olympic appearance, Barringer was enrolled at the University of Colorado. At the U.S. trials, Barringer qualified for the United States Olympic team by finishing third in the steeplechase.
Barringer qualified for the first women's steeplechase final in Olympic history by finishing third in her heat. She set a new American record of 9:22.26 in the final and placed ninth.
In 2009, she set NCAA records in the mile, 3000 m, and 5000 m indoors, 1500 m, 3000 m steeplechase and 5000 m outdoors. She also topped her own American record in the steeplechase at the 2009 World Championships with a time of 9:12:50, finishing 5th overall.
While primarily a steeplechaser, she ran 3:59.90 in the 1500 m at the 2009 Prefontaine Classic. At the time of the event, this performance made her the third-fastest female 1500 m runner in U.S. track and field history.
Barringer came fifth at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, running a North American record time of 9:12.50 minutes for the event. It is also the best mark by any athlete from the Americas. She was the 2009 US Champion in the steeplechase.
While at Colorado, she won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's best collegiate female track and field athlete in 2009.
Despite the fact that she could have signed a professional contract, Barringer returned to school in the fall of 2009 to compete in cross country. On October 31, 2009, Barringer captured the Big 12 individual title, running a 6-kilometer course in 20 minutes, 27.46 seconds. She was favored to win the NCAA Cross Country Championship on November 23, 2009, but collapsed after leading for the first two miles. She wound up in 163rd place. Barringer commented that she felt light headed all of a sudden.
Barringer won the Inaugural Bowerman Award in 2009. The Bowerman Award is given to college track's Athlete of the Year.
Professional
In January 2010, Barringer signed a multi-year endorsement deal with New Balance. Barringer later changed coaches from her University of Colorado at Boulder coach, Mark Wetmore, in favor of the Air Force Academy coach Juli Benson.
Barringer missed most of the 2010 season due to a stress reaction in her right femur. She married runner Jason Simpson on October 8, 2010, taking on Simpson as her last name from that date.
Simpson began the 2011 season strong, winning the mile and 3000 meters championships at the 2011 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She qualified for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics by finishing second in the 1500 meters at the US Track and Field Championship.