Zola Budd facts for kids
Budd at the 1986 European Championships
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 26 May 1966 Bloemfontein, South Africa |
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| Height | 164 cm | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 40 kg | ||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 800 m – marathon | ||||||||||||||||
| Club | Aldershot, Farnham & District AC | ||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) |
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Medal record
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Zola Budd (born May 26, 1966) is a famous runner from South Africa. She is known for running both middle and long distances. She competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics for Great Britain and the 1992 Summer Olympics for South Africa. Both times, she competed in the 3000-meter race.
In 1985, she officially broke the world record for the 5000 meters. Zola also won the World Cross Country Championships twice, in 1985 and 1986. She was famous for often running barefoot. Her best time for the mile run, 4 minutes and 17.57 seconds in 1985, was a British record for 38 years.
Zola Budd moved back to South Africa in 1989. She later moved to South Carolina, USA, in 2008 with her family. There, she competed in marathons and ultramarathons. She returned to South Africa again around 2020–2021.
Contents
Zola Budd's Running Career
Breaking the 5000-Meter World Record
Zola Budd was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She became famous in early 1984 when she was just 17 years old. She ran the 5000 meters in 15 minutes and 1.83 seconds. This time was a new world record.
However, because South Africa was not allowed in international sports due to its apartheid policy, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) did not officially accept her record at first. Apartheid was a system of unfair separation of people based on race.
In 1985, while running for Great Britain, she officially set a new world record for the 5000 meters. Her time was 14 minutes and 48.07 seconds.
Moving to Britain
A British newspaper, the Daily Mail, helped Zola Budd move to Britain. Her grandfather was British, so she could become a British citizen. This allowed her to compete in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, even though South Africa was banned.
Her quick move to Britain was a big news story. Some groups who were against apartheid pointed out that most people had to wait years to become a citizen. Zola's application was processed very quickly.
Zola ran her first official race in Britain on a cinder track in Dartford, Kent. She ran 3000 meters in 9 minutes and 2.6 seconds. She then won the UK Championships 1500 meters and the 3000 meters at the UK Olympic trials. This earned her a spot on the British Olympic team. In July 1984, she set a new world record for the 2000 meters with a time of 5 minutes and 33.15 seconds.
The 1984 Olympic 3000-Meter Race
At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, many people thought the 3000-meter race would be a big competition between Zola Budd and American world champion Mary Decker.
Mary Decker started the race very fast, with Zola close behind. As the race continued, Zola took the lead. Running in a group was new for both Zola and Mary, as they were used to being far ahead of other runners.
About halfway through the race, Zola and Mary touched legs. Both runners stayed on their feet. A few steps later, they touched again. Zola's left foot brushed Mary's leg, causing Zola to lose her balance and move into Mary's path. Mary then stepped on Zola's ankle.
Mary Decker then fell to the side of the track, hurting her hip. She could not finish the race and was carried off the track. Zola was very affected by what happened. She kept running for a while but slowed down and finished seventh.
After the race, Zola tried to say sorry to Mary, but Mary was too upset. Olympic officials later looked at videos of the race. They decided that Zola was not responsible for the collision. Mary Decker later said that she fell because she was not used to running so close to other runners.
International Races and Records
Zola Budd continued to compete for the UK in 1985 and 1986. In February 1985, she became the World Cross Country Champion.
After this, her running improved a lot. She broke British and Commonwealth records for the 1500 meters (3:59.96), the mile (4:17.57), the 3000 meters (8:28.83), and the 5000 meters (14:48.07). Her 5000-meter time broke the world record by ten seconds. She also won the European Cup 3000 meters.
In 1986, she won her second World Cross Country title. She also set a world indoor record for the 3000 meters (8:39.79). Later that year, she had a leg injury, which affected her performance. She took a break from competing in 1987 to get treatment.
Zola Budd's Life After Running
Return to South Africa
In 1988, Zola Budd started running again. However, some African countries said she had competed in an event in South Africa. At that time, South Africa was still banned from international sports because of apartheid. The International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) suspended her from competing. Zola said she only attended the event and did not compete.
After being suspended, Zola returned to South Africa. She stopped competing internationally for several years. In 1989, Zola married Mike Pieterse. They have three children.
When South Africa was allowed back into international sports, Zola competed in the 3000 meters at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. She did not make it to the final race. In 1993, she finished fourth at the World Cross Country Championships.
Zola Budd still holds many British and South African running records for young and adult runners. She also holds two junior world records: the mile and the 3000 meters.
Moving to the United States
In August 2008, Zola Budd, using her married name Pieterse, moved to Myrtle Beach, USA, with her three children. Her husband joined them later. She competed in races for older runners in the US. In 2009, she won the women's division of the Dasani Half-Marathon.
In 2012, she announced she would run in the Comrades Marathon, a very long race of almost 90 kilometers (about 56 miles). She finished the Comrades Marathon in 8 hours, 6 minutes, and 9 seconds. She was the 37th female runner to finish.
In June 2014, Zola ran the Comrades Marathon again. She finished in 6 hours, 55 minutes, and 55 seconds. This earned her a gold medal for finishing in the top 10 women. She was the 7th female finisher overall.
As of July 2020, she was an Assistant Cross Country and Girls Track Coach at Conway High School in Conway, South Carolina. She also volunteered as an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina University. She moved back to South Africa in 2021.
Cultural Impact
In South Africa, some township taxis are called "Zola Budd" because they are fast. A famous singer named Brenda Fassie had a popular song in the 1980s called "Zola Budd."
Images for kids
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Pieterse at the 2012 Comrades Marathon. She finished in seventh place in the 2014 race, and was the first female veteran to cross the line.
See also
In Spanish: Zola Budd para niños
