Susan Christina "Sue" Richardson (née Hearnshaw, formerly Telfer, born 26 May 1961) is a retired

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athlete who competed mainly in the

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a ...

. 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 ...

, 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 sec ...

held in

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in the long jump where she won the bronze medal. Her mother, Muriel Pletts, had competed in the first post-war Summer Olympic Games in London in 1948, finishing fourth as part of the British women's 4 x 100 metre relay team. She represented

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in the long jump event, at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in

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. Four years later she represented

again in the long jump event, at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in

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Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. 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, 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