Anne Smith

Biography Smith was born in Amersham, England. She was coached by Gordon Pirie, Smith then became the national 880 yards champion after winning the British WAAA Championships title at the 1964 WAAA Championships and would win three more times in 1965, 1966 and 1967.

At the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, she reached the final of the 800 metres (women were not permitted to run any distance longer than 800 m at the time). She set a British record of 2:04.8 in the semi-final. In the final, she finished eighth in 2:05.1, the race was won by her teammate Ann Packer who recorded a world record of 2:01.1, second was France's Maryvonne Dupureur (2:01.9) and third was Marise Chamberlain of New Zealand (2:02.8).

In 1966, she won a bronze medal for England in the 880 yards at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, she ran 2:05.0. The winner was Abby Hoffman of Canada (2:04.2), with Australia's Judy Pollock second (2:04.5).

Having set a British women’s mile record of 4:44.2 in 1966, Smith set a world record for the mile in May 1967, improving Marise Chamberlain's four-and-a-half-year-old mark of 4:41.4, when she ran 4:39.2 to win the Surrey Championship at Wimbledon Park on 13 May, also setting a British record of 4:21.0 for the 1500 metres en route.

On 3 June 1967, in Chiswick, London, Smith broke two world records in one race, these times of 4:17.3 (1500m) and 4:37.0 (mile) were the first records to be officially ratified by the IAAF.

Smith worked as a PE teacher at Sacred Heart High School, Hammersmith, Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls, and Baradene College in Auckland. She died in London on 9 November 1993, aged 52, following a brain haemorrhage.

Achievements International Championships:

1964: 8th 800 m Olympics

1966: 3rd 880y Commonwealth Games

1968: 4th International CC

1971: 45th International CC (for New Zealand)

UK Internationals: 12 (1963-6)

National Championships: Won WAAA 880y 1964-7.

Personal bests: 440y 56.0 (1967), 800m 2:03.2 (1966), 1500m 4:17.3 (1967), mile 4:37.0 (1967).