Shirley Strong
Encyclopedia
Shirley Elaine Strong is a British
athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres hurdles
.
She competed for Great Britain in the 1984 Summer Olympics
held in Los Angeles
, U.S.
in the 100 metre hurdles where she won the Silver medal.
Strong was born in Cuddington
, Cheshire
and remained in the village throughout her career. Now known by her married name, Shirley Holloway, she has two daughters and now lives in Holmes Chapel
, Cheshire.
Strong's first major championship was the 1978 Commonwealth Games
, in [[Edmonton, Canada where she got the silver medal. She went on to improve on that in the 1982 Commonwealth Games
in Brisbane Australia, by getting the gold medal.
Strong achieved a creditable fifth place at the 1983 World Championships
with a wind-assisted time of 12.78 seconds, still Great Britain's highest-ever placing in the event.
With the eastern European countries absent through boycott at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Strong went into the 100 metres hurdles event as favourite. However in the final Benita Fitzgerald-Brown
of the United States ran the race of her life to take gold in 12.84 seconds, 0.04 seconds faster than the Briton.
After Los Angeles she was frequently troubled by problems with her achilles tendon
and failed to qualify for the 1986 Commonwealth Games
. After competing in the 1987 indoor season she retired from athletics.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres hurdles
100 metres hurdles
The 100 m hurdles are an Olympic track and field athletics discipline run by women . For the race ten hurdles of a height of 83.8 cm are placed evenly spaced along a straight course of 100 meters. They are positioned so that they will fall over if bumped into by the runner...
.
She competed for Great Britain in the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
held in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 100 metre hurdles where she won the Silver medal.
Strong was born in Cuddington
Cuddington, Vale Royal
Cuddington is a civil parish and rural village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, about six miles west of Northwich and fourteen miles east of Chester....
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
and remained in the village throughout her career. Now known by her married name, Shirley Holloway, she has two daughters and now lives in Holmes Chapel
Holmes Chapel
Holmes Chapel is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Until 1974 the parish was known as Church Hulme.At the 2001 Census the population of the village was recorded as 5,669...
, Cheshire.
Career
Strong began her national career in 1977 with second placings in the 100 metres hurdles at both the AAA Championships and the UK Athletics Championships, achieving second place again in 1978 at both championships. Between 1979 and 1984 she won six consecutive golds at the AAA Championships and was UK Champion in 1979, 1980 and 1983.Strong's first major championship was the 1978 Commonwealth Games
1978 Commonwealth Games
The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec...
, in [[Edmonton, Canada where she got the silver medal. She went on to improve on that in the 1982 Commonwealth Games
1982 Commonwealth Games
The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 30 September–9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium , in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the venue which was used for the athletics and archery competitions during the...
in Brisbane Australia, by getting the gold medal.
Strong achieved a creditable fifth place at the 1983 World Championships
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
with a wind-assisted time of 12.78 seconds, still Great Britain's highest-ever placing in the event.
With the eastern European countries absent through boycott at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Strong went into the 100 metres hurdles event as favourite. However in the final Benita Fitzgerald-Brown
Benita Fitzgerald-Brown
Benita Fitzgerald-Brown is a retired American athlete, who mainly competed in the women's 100 metres hurdles event....
of the United States ran the race of her life to take gold in 12.84 seconds, 0.04 seconds faster than the Briton.
After Los Angeles she was frequently troubled by problems with her achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
and failed to qualify for the 1986 Commonwealth Games
1986 Commonwealth Games
The 1986 Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland for the second time. The Games were held from 24 July-2 August 1986.-Organisation and Controversy:...
. After competing in the 1987 indoor season she retired from athletics.