Allan Wells facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Allan Wells
MBE

Personal information
Born	(1952-05-03) 3 May 1952 (age 73) Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Sport
Event(s)	100 metres 200 metres
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Gold 1980 Moscow 100 metres Silver 1980 Moscow 200 metres IAAF World Cup Gold 1981 Rome 100 m Silver 1981 Rome 200 m European Cup Gold 1979 Turin 200 m Gold 1981 Zagreb 100 m Gold 1983 London 200 m Silver 1981 Zagreb 200 m Silver 1983 London 100 m Bronze 1979 Turin 100 m Representing  Scotland Commonwealth Games Gold 1978 Edmonton 200 m Gold 1978 Edmonton 4 × 100 m Gold 1982 Brisbane 100 m Gold 1982 Brisbane 200 m Silver 1978 Edmonton 100 m Bronze 1982 Brisbane 4 × 100 m

Allan Wipper Wells (born on May 3, 1952) is a famous British former track and field sprinter. He became the 100 metres Olympic champion at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In 1981, he won gold medals at both the IAAF Golden Sprints and IAAF World Cup events. He also earned three gold medals at the European Cup.

Allan Wells won many medals for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games. He took home two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games. He also achieved a special "sprint double" by winning both the 100 metres and 200 metres at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. Wells recorded the fastest British times for 100m and 200m in several years, from 1978 to 1983, and for 100m in 1984.

Allan Wells: A Champion Sprinter

Early Life and Start in Athletics

Allan Wells was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He went to Fernieside Primary School and then Liberton High School. At 15, he left school to start an engineering apprenticeship. When he first began in athletics, he focused on triple jump and long jump. In 1974, he was the Scottish indoor long jump champion.

Becoming a Sprint Star

In 1976, Allan decided to focus on sprint races. By 1977, he won the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) Indoor 60 metres title. This was the first of his seven outdoor Scottish sprint titles.

The year 1978 was a big one for him. He kept getting faster and winning more races. He set a new British record in the 100m at Gateshead. He also won the UK 100m and 200m Championships.

At the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, he won a gold medal in the 200m. He also earned a silver medal in the 100m. Wells was part of the team that won gold in the 4 × 100m relay. He ran the second part of the race with Drew McMaster, David Jenkins, and Cameron Sharp.

His success continued in 1979. He won the European Cup 200m race in Turin, Italy. He even beat Pietro Mennea, who was the new world record holder, on Mennea's home ground. Wells also finished third in the 100m race.

Olympic Glory in 1980

At the start of 1980, Wells won the AAA's 100m race. He then went to the Côte d'Azur to get ready for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Before these Olympics, a new rule meant he had to use starting blocks, which he had never used before.

Wells faced some challenges before the Games. He had severe back pain that made it hard to train. He had many treatment sessions each day, which left him very tired. Instead of training, he spent his time resting.

In Moscow, Wells ran a new British record of 10.11 seconds to qualify for the 100m final. In the final, he raced against Silvio Leonard from Cuba, who was expected to win. Wells made an amazing lean at the finish line. His head and shoulder crossed the line just before Leonard's chest. Both runners were given the same time of 10.25 seconds, but Wells won in a photo finish! At 28 years old, he became the oldest Olympic 100m champion at that time.

The 200m final was also very close. Wells won the silver medal, finishing just 0.02 seconds behind Pietro Mennea. He set another British record with a time of 20.21 seconds. He also helped the sprint relay team set a third British record of 38.62 seconds, finishing fourth in their final.

After the Moscow Olympics, some people wondered if Wells's gold medal was less valuable because some countries had not attended the Games. To show his skill, Wells accepted an invitation to race against top American sprinters. Less than two weeks after his Olympic win, he won a race in Koblenz, West Germany. He beat strong runners like Stanley Floyd, Mel Lattany, and even Carl Lewis. After the race, Mel Lattany told Wells, "You're the Olympic champion and you would have been Olympic champion no matter who you ran against in Moscow."

At the end of 1980, Allan Wells was named Scottish Sports Personality of the Year.

World Cup Victory in 1981

In 1981, after touring Australia and New Zealand, Wells won the European Cup 100m race. He beat Frank Emmelmann from East Germany. Wells also finished second in the 200m.

He then won the "IAAF Golden Sprints" in Berlin. This was a very important sprint meeting that year. Wells won the 200m race, beating top American sprinters like Mel Lattany and Steve Williams. He also beat Ben Johnson in the 100m/200m combined event.

Wells won the 100m at the IAAF World Cup in Rome, beating Carl Lewis. He then finished second in the World Cup 200m. Later, he won another 200m race in Brussels, Belgium, beating Mel Lattany and Stanley Floyd again.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1982, in Brisbane, Australia, Wells won two more Commonwealth Games titles. He won the 100m and the 200m. He also earned a bronze medal in the relay. He shared the 200m title with Mike McFarlane of England in a rare dead heat.

In 1983, he won his third European Cup title by winning the 200m in London. He beat his old rival Pietro Mennea again. He also took second place in the 100m.

He then finished fourth in both the 100m and 200m finals at the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki.

At 32 years old, he reached the 100m semi-finals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He was also part of the relay team that finished seventh in the final.

Wells missed most of 1985 due to an injury. In 1986, he was not chosen for the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. However, on August 5, at Gateshead, he beat both Ben Johnson and Atlee Mahorn, who were the Commonwealth 100m and 200m champions.

At Gateshead, Wells also gained attention for being the first to wear the Lycra running shorts that are common today. This led to him being called "Wilson of the Wizard," after a comic book character.

Wells was then selected for the European championships in Stuttgart. He finished fifth in both the 100m and 200m finals. He also had a victory against Linford Christie at Crystal Palace in the 100m at the end of 1986. One of his last wins was taking both the 100m and 200m at the Inverness Highland Games in 1987.

Even though he had many back injuries later in his career, Allan Wells still won a total of 18 medals at major championships. He retired in his mid-30s. He, along with Don Quarrie and Pietro Mennea, showed that sprinters could compete longer into their thirties.

Life After Running

Since 1982, Allan Wells has lived in Surrey with his wife, Margot. After he stopped competing, he coached the British bobsleigh team. Margot was also a Scottish champion in 100m and 100m hurdles. They now live in Guildford, Surrey. Margot is a fitness consultant, and Allan is a retired systems engineer. Allan also coached a special sprint squad for the Bank of Scotland with another former Scottish sprinter, Ian Mackie.

Allan Wells's fastest time for the 100 metres is 10.11 seconds. His fastest time for the 200 metres is 20.21 seconds. Both of these times were set at the Moscow 1980 Games and are still Scottish records.

He also ran a very fast 10.02 seconds in Brisbane in 1982, with some wind assistance. This is still the track record there. He also ran a 20.11 seconds in Edinburgh in 1980, also with wind assistance.

As of July 2025, Wells holds two track records for 200 metres, both with wind assistance. These are in Turin (20.29 seconds, 1979) and Venice (20.26 seconds, 1981).

Awards and Recognition

Allan Wells was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award in 1982 for his contributions to athletics. He was also added to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. He joined other famous Scottish Olympic champions like Eric Liddell and Wyndham Halswelle.

Wells was the first person to carry the baton for the Queen's Baton Relay for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He carried the baton from Buckingham Palace in London in October 2013.

In July 2014, Allan Wells and his wife Margot received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Edinburgh Napier University.

See also

In Spanish: Allan Wells para niños