Heather Oakes facts for kids
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| Born | 14 August 1959 London, England |
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Heather Regina Oakes (born on August 14, 1959) is a famous former English sprinter. She was known for her speed, especially in the 100 metres race. Heather won two bronze medals at the Olympic Games in the 4 × 100m relay. These wins happened in Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984. She also earned a silver medal in the 60m race at the 1985 World Indoor Games. A big highlight was her gold medal in the 100m at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.
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Heather Oakes' Athletics Journey
Heather Oakes was born in Hackney, London. She started her athletics journey with the Haringey Athletic Club. In 1977, when she was known as Heather Hunte, she competed in the European Junior Championships. She finished fourth in the 100m final. However, she did win a bronze medal in the sprint relay race.
Olympic Medals and Records
Heather showed her amazing speed early on. In 1980, she ran the 100 metres in a very fast 11.01 seconds. This was at a meeting in Crystal Palace. Later that year, she went to the Olympic Games in Moscow. There, she won a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay. Her teammates were Kathy Smallwood, Beverley Goddard, and Sonia Lannaman. They set a new UK record with a time of 42.43 seconds. This record stood for many years, until 2014. Heather also placed eighth in the 100m final at those Games.
In 1984, Heather competed in her second Olympics. This was at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. She teamed up with Kathy Cook (formerly Smallwood) and Beverley Callender (formerly Goddard) again. They were joined by Simmone Jacobs. Together, they won another bronze medal in the 4 × 100m relay. Heather also reached the 100m final, finishing seventh.
Commonwealth Games Champion
Heather Oakes achieved a major victory in 1986. She became the Commonwealth 100m champion in Edinburgh, Scotland. She ran her fastest time ever, finishing in 11.20 seconds. It was a very close race! She just beat her teammate Paula Dunn and Canada's Angella Issajenko.
Later at the same Games, Heather won another gold medal. She joined Paula Dunn, Kathy Cook, and Joan Baptiste. They won the gold medal in the sprint relay race. Heather was the anchor runner, meaning she ran the last part of the race. They helped England win in 43.39 seconds.
A Dedicated Athlete
Throughout her career, Heather Oakes won many national titles. She won four AAAs National titles and five UK National titles. Her best time in the 100m (11.20 seconds) still ranks her among the top British sprinters. Her 60m best time (7.21 seconds) also places her high on the UK all-time list.
What's really inspiring is that Heather competed at the highest level while also working a full-time job. This is different from many athletes today. Modern athletes often get funding and sponsorships. Heather's dedication shows how much she loved the sport. She is married to Gary Oakes, who also won an Olympic bronze medal.
Personal Bests
Heather Oakes achieved impressive personal best times in her career:
- 60 metres: 7.21 seconds (set in Paris in 1985)
- 100 metres: 11.20 seconds (set in Edinburgh in 1986)
- 200 metres: 22.92 seconds (set in Stuttgart in 1986)
- 4 × 100 metres relay: 42.43 seconds (set in Moscow in 1980, which was a UK record)
See also
In Spanish: Heather Hunte para niños
