| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Rosemary Olivia Stirling |
| Born | (1947-12-11)11 December 1947 (age 77) Timaru, New Zealand |
| Height | 157 cm (5 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 51 kg (112 lb) |
| Spouse | Trevor Wright |
| Relative | Sam Ruthe (grandson) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | 400m/440y |
| Club | WBAC, Wolverhampton |
Rosemary Olivia Wright (néeStirling; born 11 December 1947) is a former Britishsprinter andmiddle-distance runner. She won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the1969 European Championships, and a gold medal in the 800m at the1970 Commonwealth Games. Her 800m best of 2:00.15, stood as the Scottish record for 30 years (1972–2002).
Born inTimaru,Canterbury, New Zealand to a Scottish father and English mother, she moved with her family toWolverhampton, England as a teenager where she joined the Wolverhampton Harriers. At the age of 16 she was one of the best British female runners over 800 metres.[1] In theBritish Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1966 inKingston, Jamaica she competed for Scotland over 440 yards and 880 yards and finished in fourth place in both events. In 1969 she won the bronze medal in the 400m at the European Indoor Games inBelgrade. She also competed at the1969 European Championships in Athletics inAthens, Greece, placing eighth in the 400 metres final and, with teammates Pat Lowe,Janet Simpson andLillian Board, helping Great Britain win gold in the 4 x 400-metres relay in world record time (3:30.8) .
At the1970 Commonwealth Games inEdinburgh she won gold in the 800 metres race.[2] At the European Indoor Athletics Championships in 1971 inSofia, she was awarded the 800m Bronze medal behindHildegard Falck andIleana Silai. She also won Bronze the same year at the European Championships inHelsinki. At the1972 Summer Olympics inMunich she finished seventh in the 800 metres with a personal best time of 2:00.15 that lasted as a UK record until 1979. In 1974, at the British Commonwealth Games inChristchurch, New Zealand, she was a member of the Scottish relay team that finished fourth. At the European Indoor Championships inGothenburg she finished in fourth place in the 800 m.[3][4][5]
Rosemary married her English-born husband,Trevor Wright, who ran for New Zealand, having met him while competing inHelsinki in 1971. She lived in Wolverhampton until the age of 34, when the couple moved to New Zealand.[6] Their grandsonSam Ruthe is also a runner.[7]
Commonwealth Games champions in women's800 metres | |
|---|---|
| 880 yards (1934, 1962–1966) | |
| 800 metres (1970–present) |
|
