Mary Rand

Track, field athlete

British Wells, Somerset, England

Quick Info

ProfessionTrack, field athlete
NationalityBritish
Date of Birth10/02/1940
Age86 years (died on 27, Mar, 2026)
BirthplaceWells, Somerset, England
Date of Death27/03/2026

Latest News about Mary Rand

27/03/2026

Mary Rand, Britain's first female Olympic athletics champion and original golden girl of British sport, passed away at age 86. The legendary track and field athlete made history at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics by becoming the first British woman to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics and the only British female to win three medals at a single Games until 2024.

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Personal Life

ResidenceReno, Nevada

Relationships & More

Marriages
  • Spouse: Sidney Rand Year: 1961
  • Spouse: Bill Toomey

Family

ChildrenAlison Toomey

Career

Achievements
  • Event: Long jump, 1964 Olympics Medal: Gold, world record 6.76m
  • Event: Pentathlon, 1964 Olympics Medal: Silver
  • Event: 4x100m relay, 1964 Olympics Medal: Bronze
  • Event: Long jump, 1958 Commonwealth Games Medal: Silver
  • Event: Long jump, 1962 European Championships Medal: Bronze
  • Event: Long jump, 1966 Commonwealth Games Medal: Gold
  • Event: 4x100m relay, 1962 European Championships Medal: Bronze
  • Event: Triple jump world record Details: 1959-1981 (unofficial until 1990)
  • Event: Long jump, 1960 Olympics Medal: 9th place

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Worked in a Guinness Factory before 1964 Olympics
2. Young mother at time of 1964 Olympics
3. First British woman to win Olympic gold in track and field
4. Won BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1964
5. Married Olympic rower Sidney Rand in 1961
6. Set British pentathlon record at 17 (4,046 points)
7. Awarded MBE in 1965
8. Only British female athlete to win three medals at a single Olympics until 2024
9. Set Olympic record in long jump qualifying at 1964 Tokyo Games (6.52m)
10. Broke world record in long jump final with 6.76m jump despite headwind
11. Retired in 1968 after missing Mexico City Olympics due to injury
12. First British woman long jumper to clear 20 feet (6.20m) in 1959
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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