Anita Neil

Doris "Anita" Neil (born 5 April 1950) is a retired British international sprinter.

Anita Neil
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1950-04-05) 5 April 1950
Wellingborough
Sport
SportSprinting
Event(s)100 metres
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
1970 Edinburgh 4 x 100 metres relay
Representing  Great Britain
European Championships
1969 Athens100 metres
1969 Athens200 metres
1969 Athens4 × 100 metres relay

Early life

Anita Neil was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.[1] Her father was an American Staff Sergeant stationed in Wellingborough during World War II, where he met her mother, who was local to the town.[2]

Career

Neil was a member of the London Olympiades and is considered 'a pioneer in the first generation of Black British female Olympic Athletes',[1][3]:319 Known primarily as a sprinter, Neil's first competition for Great Britain was in the long jump in 1966.[4]

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 hundred metres sprint.[1]

She also competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.[5]

European Championships

In 1969, she competed at the European Championships in Athens,[1] where she won bronze medals in the 100 metres and 200 metres, as well as in 4 x 100-metres relay.[3]:205

Commonwealth Games

Neil represented England at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. and won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay.[1][6]

Later life

Neil continues to live in Wellingborough and has participated in local events.[7] In 2012, she was a guest of honour at the opening of the Wellingborough Museum's exhibition on the Olympic Games. She also served as guest of honor at the official opening of the Knights Court in Wellingborough in 2014.[8]

References
  1. 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)
  2. "The Second World War". www.northamptonshireheritage.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  3. 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.
  4. "Friday photos (9): Anita Neil - Britain's first black woman Olympian?". go-feet.blogspot.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  5. 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.
  6. "1970 Athletes". Team England.
    - "Edinburgh, 1970 Team". Team England.
    - "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  7. Abel, Carolyn (10 June 2005). "The Times Educational Supplement". TES.
  8. "Pounds 9m Housing Complex Officially Open in Wellingborough." Telegraph, Jul 15, 2014. ProQuest 1545011796.
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