Susan Christina "Sue" Richardson (née Hearnshaw, formerly Telfer, born 26 May 1961) is a retired British athlete who competed mainly in the long jump. She won the 1984 Olympic bronze medal in the long jump, having won the European Indoor title a few months earlier. Her long jump best of 6.83 metres in 1984, ranks her eighth on the UK all-time list.

Athletics career

Born Susan Hearnshaw in

Liversedge Liversedge is a town and former parish of Birstall, in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Liversedge lies between Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike. The Kirklees ward is ...

, West Yorkshire, she competed for Great Britain at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

held in Los Angeles, U.S. in the long jump where she won the bronze medal. Her mother, Muriel Pletts, had competed in the first post-war

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

in London in 1948, finishing fourth as part of the British women's 4 x 100 metre relay team. She represented England in the long jump event, at the

1978 Commonwealth Games The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec. They were boycotted by Nigeria, in protest at New Zealand's sporting contacts with apar ...

in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Four years later she represented England again in the long jump event, at the

1982 Commonwealth Games The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Australia, from 30 September to 9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium (named after Elizabeth II), in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the a ...

in Brisbane, Queensland,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Hearnshaw achieved her legal best in the long jump with 6.83 metres on 6 May 1984. She also jumped a

wind-assisted In track and field, wind assistance is the benefit that an athlete receives during a race or event as registered by a wind gauge. Wind is one of many forms of weather that can affect sport. Due to a tailwind helping to enhance the speed of the at ...

7.00 metres when winning the UK Championship title on 27 May 1984.

Personal life

A graduate of

Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for post-nominals) is a public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university since 1966, but it dates back to 1909, when L ...

, she subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

International competitions

References

* 1961 births Living people People from Liversedge Athletes from Yorkshire British female long jumpers English female long jumpers Commonwealth Games competitors for England Athletes (track and field) at the 1978 Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Commonwealth Games Olympic athletes of Great Britain Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics English Olympic medallists Alumni of Loughborough University Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) Universiade silver medalists for Great Britain Medalists at the 1981 Summer Universiade {{England-athletics-bio-stub