Shirley Strong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shirley Strong

Personal information
Nationality	British (English)
Born	18 November 1958 Cuddington, Northwich, England
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	hurdles
Club	Stretford AC
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Silver 1984 Los Angeles 100 m hurdles Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 1982 Brisbane 100m hurdles Silver 1978 Edmonton 100m hurdles

Shirley Elaine Strong (married name Holloway), born on November 18, 1958, is a famous British athlete. She was known for competing in the 100 metres hurdles, which is a running race where athletes jump over obstacles. Shirley won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984. She also earned a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1982 and a silver medal in 1978. For many years, from 1980 to 1988, she held the British record for this event.

About Shirley Strong

Shirley Strong was born in a village called Cuddington in Cheshire, England. She lived there throughout her sports career. Today, she lives in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, and has two daughters.

Shirley went to Northwich Grammar School For Girls. This school is now known as The County High School, Leftwich.

Shirley's Athletics Career

Shirley trained with the Stretford athletic club. She was a very successful young athlete. She won the English and British Schoolgirls 100 hurdles championship twice, in both 1974 and 1975.

Early National Competitions

Shirley started her national career in 1977. She finished second in the 100 metres hurdles at two big events: the 1977 WAAA Championships and the UK Athletics Championships. She achieved second place again in both championships in 1978.

Commonwealth Games Success

Shirley's first major international competition was representing England at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada. There, she proudly won a silver medal.

She continued her success at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia. This time, representing England, Shirley won the gold medal in the 100m hurdles.

British Champion

Shirley became the British 100 metres hurdles champion in 1979. She won the British WAAA Championships title that year. She kept this title for many years, winning again in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984. In 1983, she set a new national record with a time of 12.95 seconds.

In 1983, Shirley also won the Northern Ireland 100 hurdles championship.

World Championships and Olympics

At the 1983 World Championships, Shirley finished in a very good fifth place. Her time was 12.78 seconds, but it was "wind-assisted." This means there was a strong tailwind helping her, so it didn't count as a record. This was the highest placing for Great Britain in this event until 2011.

Shirley was a favorite to win at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. However, in the final race, Benita Fitzgerald-Brown from the United States ran incredibly well. Benita won the gold medal in 12.84 seconds, just 0.04 seconds faster than Shirley. Shirley earned the silver medal.

Retirement from Athletics

After the Los Angeles Olympics, Shirley had problems with her achilles tendon, which is a strong cord at the back of the ankle. Because of this injury, she could not qualify for the 1986 Commonwealth Games. She was chosen for the European Championships later that year but had to withdraw from the team. After competing in the indoor season in 1987, Shirley decided to retire from athletics.

Shirley's Popularity

During her most successful years, Shirley Strong was one of the most liked athletes in the UK. People saw her as a relatable person, someone "just like us."

Personal Best Times

• 60 metres hurdles – 8.11 seconds (achieved in Cosford, UK, on March 11, 1984)
• 100 metres hurdles – 12.87 seconds (achieved in Zurich, Switzerland, on August 24, 1983) – This was the British record from 1983 to 1988.

Sometimes, Shirley ran even faster, like 12.78 seconds. However, these times were "wind-assisted," meaning a strong wind was helping her. If the wind is blowing faster than 2.0 meters per second from behind, the time doesn't count for official records.

Major Achievements

Shirley Strong achieved many great things in her career:

• She was the AAAs (of England) National 100 m Hurdles Champion 6 times: in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984. (She was also 2nd in 1977 and 1978.)
• She was the UK National 100 m Hurdles Champion 3 times: in 1979, 1980, and 1983. (She was also 2nd in 1977 and 1978.)
• She was the North England 100 m Hurdles champion 7 times: in 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, and 1986.

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  England
1978	Commonwealth Games	Edmonton, Canada	2nd	100m hurdles	13.08w
1982	Commonwealth Games	Brisbane, Australia	1st	100m hurdles	12.78w
Representing  Great Britain
1980	Olympic Games	Moscow, Russia	semi-final	100 m hurdles	13.12
1981	European Cup	Zagreb, Yugoslavia	4th	100m hurdles	13.21
1982	European Championships	Athens, Greece	semi-final	100m hurdles	13.23
1983	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	5th	100m hurdles	12.78w
	European Cup	London, UK	5th	100m hurdles	13.37
1984	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, USA	2nd	100m hurdles	12.88

See also

In Spanish: Shirley Strong para niños