Anita Neil

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Anita Neil

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE|size=100%}} OLY{{cite web |url=https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/its-official-wellingborough-sprint-hero-anita-confirmed-as-an-olympics-history-maker-3225388 |title=It's official! Wellingborough sprint hero Anita confirmed as an Olympics history maker |date=6 May 2021 |last=Bagley |first=Alison |website=Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph |access-date=16 August 2021}}

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|4|5|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = British (English)

| height =163 cm

| weight =55 kg

| sport = Athletics

| event = Sprinting

| club = London Olympiades

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }}

{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}}

}}

Doris Anita Neil (born 5 April 1950) is a retired British international sprinter. In 1968, she became the first black British woman Olympian at the 1968 Summer Olympics.{{cite news |last1=Bagchi |first1=Rob |title=The story of black British sportswomen - from early pioneers through to current day |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2020/10/22/story-black-british-sportswomen-early-day-pioneers-current/ |access-date=21 April 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=22 October 2020}}

Early life

Neil was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire,{{Cite book|last=Williams, Jean, 1964-|title=Britain's Olympic women : a history|date=26 July 2020|isbn=978-1-000-16320-9|location=Abingdon, Oxon|oclc=1176318130}} to an African-American father and a white English mother. Neil’s father was a staff sergeant with the United States Army stationed in Wellingborough during World War II, where he met her mother, Florence, a local woman.{{Cite web|title=The Second World War|url=https://www.northamptonshireheritage.co.uk/learn/historical-events-and-movements/Pages/the-second-world-war.aspx|access-date=28 August 2020|website=www.northamptonshireheritage.co.uk|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724005937/https://www.northamptonshireheritage.co.uk/learn/historical-events-and-movements/Pages/the-second-world-war.aspx}} Neil's father, who travelled back and forth between the US and England, left when she was six. In his absence Neil's mother raised their five children single-handed with the support of Neil's grandparents.{{Cite web|date=2021-06-10|title=Anita Neil: Britain's first Black female Olympian – who was forced to quit in her prime|url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/10/anita-neil-britains-first-black-female-olympian-who-was-forced-to-quit-in-her-prime|access-date=2021-10-22|website=the Guardian|language=en}}

Career

Neil worked as a machinist in a clothing factory and trained in her spare time. From an impoverished family Neil was forced to rely on charity to travel to competitions and obtain equipment.

Known primarily as a sprinter, Neil's first competition for Great Britain was in the long jump in 1966.{{Cite web|title=Friday photos (9): Anita Neil - Britain's first black woman Olympian?|url=http://go-feet.blogspot.com/2013/11/friday-photos-anita-neil-britains-first.html|access-date=28 August 2020|website=go-feet.blogspot.com|date=November 2013 |language=en-GB}} She competed for Great Britain in the 1967 European Cup.

At a national competition in Portsmouth, she won the 100 yards and broke the national record (10.6 seconds). At the same meet she was part of the 4 x 110m relay team who set a World Record. Neil was invited to Buckingham Palace which she remembered because she met George Best.

Neil finished second behind Val Peat in the 100 metres event at the 1968 WAAA Championships.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000566/19680721/100/0030 |title=World-Beater Vera |work=Sunday Post |date=21 July 1968 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 March 2025 }} Shortly afterwards at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, she represented Great Britain in the 100 metres comeptition, where she was eliminated in the second quarter final and the 4 × 100 metres relay, finishing seventh in the final. She was encouraged by her hero Mary Rand and she became a member of the women's athletics club London Olympiades and is considered 'a pioneer in the first generation of Black British female Olympic Athletes'.{{Cite book|last=Moon|first=Gregory Paul|url=http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/844252/1/10148734.pdf|title=A New Dawn Rising: An Empirical And Social Study Concerning the Emergence and Development of English Women's Athletics Until 1980|publisher=University of Surrey, Doctoral Thesis|year=1997|location=Surrey}}^:319

In 1969, she competed at the European Athletics Championships in Athens, where she won bronze medals in the 100 metres as well as in 4 x 100-metres relay.^:205

Neil became the national 100 metres champion after winning the British WAAA Championships title at the 1970 WAAA Championships{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=2 March 2025}} and the following month, Neil represented England at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay.{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edinburgh-1970/athletes|title=1970 Athletes|publisher=Team England}}
- {{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edinburgh-1970|title=Edinburgh, 1970 Team|publisher=Team England}}
- {{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/39969|title=Athletes and results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=13 August 2019|archive-date=13 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813134410/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/39969|url-status=dead}}

Neil represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games for a second time at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ne/anita-neil-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418041440/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ne/anita-neil-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Anita Neil Olympic Results |access-date=1 July 2017}} Again she progressed to the second round in the 100 metres and to the final in the relay.

Later life

Eventually the lack of a coach, insufficient training facilities, and having to support her family financially saw Neil forced into early retirement at just 23 years old.

Neil continues to live in Wellingborough and has participated in local events.{{Cite news|last=Abel|first=Carolyn|date=10 June 2005|title=The Times Educational Supplement|work=TES|url=https://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/legal/news/document/urn:contentItem:4GCF-7TB0-00X7-T4GH-00000-00?q=%22Anita%20Neil%22&contentTypeId=news&ht=C858DA6169A61B0C0520067828E4ED3B69B400C58CE9B5287F48096E4E0D3A0FF350AA27148F0BE7F668E2CD8090B94C29715671FDC6DF431800A4A0C7FBC46C518421E7123C8CC27B66B2E201F450730171E1EFA9D4F731FBC2E9A5FDFC5B463C86B437B83D66E7CE464E0EA6131CE9F4B4A7632142D538748C37D0083B718C2BCA2D96C58B52F2D2B61816A86EC71D3A4EF72404FEDD7C4DB3BBD71E2349349761700CF644B1237036B459F061AC2C5CCBC92F950E85B297A3E73A3FCED6A89773D8AD4BE8AF7FDAB89E8C9491B455}} In 2012, she was a guest of honour at the opening of the Wellingborough Museum's exhibition on the Olympic Games. A portrait of her hangs in the museum.{{cite web |title=Miss Anita Neil (b.1950) |url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/miss-anita-neil-b-1950-49433 |website=Artuk |access-date=21 April 2021}} She also served as guest of honour at the official opening of the Knights Court in Wellingborough in 2014."Pounds 9m Housing Complex Officially Open in Wellingborough." Telegraph, 15 July 2014. {{ProQuest|1545011796}}.

Neil was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for services to athletics.{{cite news |url=https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/mbe-for-wellingborough-born-anita-neil-as-britains-first-black-female-olympian-honoured-4666719 |title=MBE for Wellingborough-born Anita Neil as Britain's first black female Olympian honoured |date=14 June 2024 |work=Northamptonshire Telegraph |access-date=15 June 2024}}