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

Early life

Neil was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire,[3] to an African-American father and a white English mother. Neil’s father was a staff sergeant with the United States Army stationed in Wellingborough during World War II, where he met her mother, Florence, a local woman.[4] Neil's father, who travelled back and forth between the US and England, left when she was six. In his absence Neil's mother raised their five children single-handed with the support of Neil's grandparents.[5]

Career

Neil worked as a machinist in a clothing factory and trained in her spare time. From an impoverished family Neil was forced to rely on charity to travel to competitions and obtain equipment.[2]

Known primarily as a sprinter, Neil's first competition for Great Britain was in the long jump in 1966.[6] She competed for Great Britain in the 1967 European Cup.

At a national competition in Portsmouth, she won the 100 yards and broke the national record (10.6 seconds). At the same meet she was part of the 4 x 110m relay team who set a World Record. Neil was invited to Buckingham Palace which she remembered because she met George Best.[5]

Neil finished second behind Val Peat in the 100 metres event at the 1968 WAAA Championships.[7] Shortly afterwards at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, she represented Great Britain in the 100 metres comeptition, where she was eliminated in the second quarter final and the 4 × 100 metres relay, finishing seventh in the final.[3] She was encouraged by her hero Mary Rand and she became a member of the women's athletics club London Olympiades and is considered 'a pioneer in the first generation of Black British female Olympic Athletes'.[3][8]:319

In 1969, she competed at the European Athletics Championships in Athens,[3] where she won bronze medals in the 100 metres as well as in 4 x 100-metres relay.[8]:205

Neil became the national 100 metres champion after winning the British WAAA Championships title at the 1970 WAAA Championships[9] and the following month, Neil represented England at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay.[3][10]

Neil represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games for a second time at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.[11] Again she progressed to the second round in the 100 metres and to the final in the relay.

Later life

Eventually the lack of a coach, insufficient training facilities, and having to support her family financially saw Neil forced into early retirement at just 23 years old.[2][5]

Neil continues to live in Wellingborough and has participated in local events.[12] 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.[13] She also served as guest of honour at the official opening of the Knights Court in Wellingborough in 2014.[14]

Neil was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for services to athletics.[15]

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. ^ a b c 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. ^ 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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "The Second World War". www.northamptonshireheritage.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Anita Neil: Britain's first Black female Olympian – who was forced to quit in her prime". the Guardian. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Friday photos (9): Anita Neil - Britain's first black woman Olympian?". go-feet.blogspot.com. November 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  7. ^ "World-Beater Vera". Sunday Post. 21 July 1968. Retrieved 2 March 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
  10. ^ "1970 Athletes". Team England.
    - "Edinburgh, 1970 Team". Team England.
    - "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Abel, Carolyn (10 June 2005). "The Times Educational Supplement". TES.
  13. ^ "Miss Anita Neil (b.1950)". Artuk. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  14. ^ "Pounds 9m Housing Complex Officially Open in Wellingborough." Telegraph, 15 July 2014. ProQuest 1545011796.
  15. ^ "MBE for Wellingborough-born Anita Neil as Britain's first black female Olympian honoured". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Neil
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