Anita Neil

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Anita Neil
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1950-04-05) 5 April 1950 (age 71)
Wellingborough
Sport
SportSprinting
Event(s)100 metres
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Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 1970 Edinburgh 4 x 100 metres relay
Representing  Great Britain
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1969 Athens 100 metres
Bronze medal – third place 1969 Athens 200 metres
Bronze medal – third place 1969 Athens 4 × 100 metres relay

Doris "Anita" Neil OLY[1] (born 5 April 1950) is a retired British international sprinter. In 1968, she became the first black British woman Olympian.[2]

Early life[]

Anita Neil was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.[3] Her father was an African American staff sergeant stationed in Wellingborough during World War II, where he met her mother, Florence, who was local to the town.[4]

Career[]

Neil worked as a machinist in a clothing factory and trained in her spare time. Known primarily as a sprinter, Neil's first competition for Great Britain was in the long jump in 1966.[5] She competed for GB in the 1967 European Cup. Neil was British champion in 100 metres in 1970 and 1971.

At a national competition in Portsmouth, she won the 100 yards and broke the national record (10.6 seconds).[6]

She was a member of the women's athletics club London Olympiades. She is considered 'a pioneer in the first generation of Black British female Olympic Athletes'.[3][7]:319

Olympics[]

She competed in the 100 metres and the 4 x 100-metres relay at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico. She progressed to the second round in the 100 metres and to the final in the relay.[3]

She also competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.[8] Again she progressed to the second round in the 100 metres and to the final in the relay.

European Championships[]

In 1969, she competed at the European Athletics Championships in Athens,[3] where she won bronze medals in the 100 metres and 200 metres, as well as in 4 x 100-metres relay.[7]:205

Commonwealth Games[]

Neil represented England at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay.[3][9]

Later life[]

Neil continues to live in Wellingborough and has participated in local events.[10] In 2012, she was a guest of honour at the opening of the Wellingborough Museum's exhibition on the Olympic Games. A portrait of her hangs in the museum.[11] She also served as guest of honour at the official opening of the Knights Court in Wellingborough in 2014.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ Bagley, Alison (6 May 2021). "It's official! Wellingborough sprint hero Anita confirmed as an Olympics history maker". Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  2. ^ Bagchi, Rob (22 October 2020). "The story of black British sportswomen - from early pioneers through to current day". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Williams, Jean, 1964- (26 July 2020). Britain's Olympic women : a history. Abingdon, Oxon. ISBN 978-1-000-16320-9. OCLC 1176318130.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "The Second World War". www.northamptonshireheritage.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Friday photos (9): Anita Neil - Britain's first black woman Olympian?". go-feet.blogspot.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Anita Neil: Britain's first Black female Olympian – who was forced to quit in her prime". the Guardian. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Moon, Gregory Paul (1997). A New Dawn Rising: An Empirical And Social Study Concerning the Emergence and Development of English Women's Athletics Until 1980 (PDF). Surrey: University of Surrey, Doctoral Thesis.
  8. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Anita Neil Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  9. ^ "1970 Athletes". Team England.
    - "Edinburgh, 1970 Team". Team England.
    - "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  10. ^ Abel, Carolyn (10 June 2005). "The Times Educational Supplement". TES.
  11. ^ "Miss Anita Neil (b.1950)". Artuk. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Pounds 9m Housing Complex Officially Open in Wellingborough." Telegraph, 15 July 2014. ProQuest 1545011796.

External links[]

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