| Personal information | |
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| Born | (1957-09-16)16 September 1957 (age 67) Anguilla |
Keith Leroy Connor (born 16 September 1957 inAnguilla, an Overseas Territory of theUnited Kingdom) is a male retired athlete who represented Great Britain and England.
Connor migrated with his parents toGreat Britain in 1964. He went on to represent Great Britain as an athlete who mainly competed in the triple jump. He representedEngland and won agold medal in the triple jump event, at the1978 Commonwealth Games inEdmonton,Alberta,Canada.[1] Four years later he won the triple jump gold again when he representedEngland, at the1982 Commonwealth Games inBrisbane,Queensland,Australia.[2][3] He then won the1982 European Athletics Championships gold and abronze medal at the1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[4]
Connor attended theUniversity of Texas atEl Paso in the USA from 1978 to 1980 and later transferred theSouthern Methodist University (SMU) where he competed with distinction in the US national collegiate (NCAA).[1].
He retired from active competition in 1984 due to injury and began an illustrious career as a coach and sports administrator. Connor was appointed head coach at theNew South Wales Institute of Sport in 1990, after spending several years coaching on the American college scene following his retirement from competition. He was credited with helping Australian athletes to win medals at theBarcelona,Atlanta andSydney Olympics due to his work in revamping the New South Wales Institute of Sport. Following his successes at NSW Institute of Sport, Connor was given the appointed as head coach ofAthletics Australia in 2001.
The Australian press has described him, admiringly, as a hard-nosed disciplinarian.Herb Elliott, chairman of an Australian Sports Commission review of the sport, said: "There is a view that he has moved the sport forward. He's had to take some very tough action. As a consequence, he's rubbed a few people up the wrong way and some are against him… but he's done an excellent job." In 2006 Keith was turned down for the job of Head Coach to British Athletics Board although he was regarded by most as the best candidate. This was his second rejection by BAB the first being in 1990. Allegations of racism surrounded his rejection.
Since the expiration of his contract in 2006 Keith has been a Sport Consultant to national associations, sporting bodies, sponsors and individuals.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing Great Britain | |||||
| 1978 | European Indoor Championships | Milan, Italy | 2nd | Triple jump | 16.53 m |
| Commonwealth Games | Edmonton, Canada | 1st | Triple jump | 17.21 mw | |
| 1982 | European Championships | Athens, Greece | 1st | Triple jump | 17.29 m |
| Commonwealth Games | Brisbane, Australia | 1st | Triple jump | 17.81 mw | |
| 1983 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 15th (q) | Triple Jump | 16.18 m |
| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States | 3rd | Triple jump | 16.87 m |
European Athletics Championships champions in men'striple jump | |
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