Elaine Mary H. McLaughlin (born 17 November 1963) is a

Northern Irish Northern Irish people is a demonym for all people born in Northern Ireland or people who are entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence. Most Northern Irish people either identify as Northern ...

former hurdler. She competed for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the women's 400 metres hurdles at the

1988 Seoul Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

. She was also a two-time

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

finalist for Northern Ireland (1986, 1990) and won the UK Championships 400m hurdles title three times (1987–89).

Career

McLaughlin finished seventh for Northern Ireland in the 400 metres hurdles final at the

1986 Commonwealth Games The 1986 Commonwealth Games ( gd, Geamannan a 'Cho-fhlaitheis 1986) were held in Edinburgh, Scotland, between 24 July and 2 August 1986. They were the second Games to be held in Edinburgh. Thirty two of the eligible fifty nine countries (largel ...

, won the 1987 UK Championships and finished second at the 1987 WAAA Championships. McLaughlin's best season came in 1988. With a pre-season best of 57.48 secs in 1987, she ran 56.22 to win the second of her three UK Championship titles in June 1988, improved her best to 56.09 in August 1988, when finishing second to Sally Gunnell at the AAA Championships/Olympic trials, earning Olympic selection, and ended the season achieving a lifetime best of 55.91 in the semifinals at the

in September. This performance ranked her second on the UK all-time list at that time, and still (as of 2018) ranks her 12th on the UK all-time list and remains the Northern Irish record. McLaughlin won her third consecutive UK Championships title in 1989 and went on to finish fifth in the

1990 Commonwealth Games The 1990 Commonwealth Games ( mi, 1990 Taumāhekeheke Commonwealth) were held in Auckland, New Zealand from 24 January – 3 February 1990. It was the 14th Commonwealth Games, and part of New Zealand's 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations. Partic ...

final in January 1990.

International competitions

National titles

* UK Championships (1987, 1988, 1989)

References

1963 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics British female hurdlers Olympic athletes for Great Britain Place of birth missing (living people) Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1990 Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games competitors for Northern Ireland {{UK-athletics-bio-stub