Linsey MacDonald

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Linsey MacDonald

| image =

| caption =

| nationality = British (Scottish)

| sport = Athletics

| event = 400m

| club = Pitreavie AAC

| birth_date = 14 February 1964

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =160 cm

| weight =43 kg

| pb =

| medaltemplates=

{{Medal|Country | {{GBR2}} }}

{{Medal|Country | {{SCO}} }}

}}

Linsey Tarrel Macdonald (born 14 February 1964) is a former sprinter from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, who specialised in the 400 metres and competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/linsey-macdonald-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418040719/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/linsey-macdonald-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-18 |website=Sports-Reference |title=Linsey MacDonald}} She was nicknamed "The Fife Flyer" during her career.

Biography

Inspired by competitors like Mary Peters, Macdonald started in athletics at the age of ten. In 1978 Macdonald was a successful schoolgirl runner, where she was Scottish/British School Girl champion in the 100 metres. She moved up to be a successful junior runner winning the AAA indoor 60m championship, she then added the Junior indoor 400m a year later. Her success continued when she won the AAA Junior Championships in the 100m and 400m in 1979, and 100m and 200m in 1980. Also in 1980 she was AAA indoor 200m champion, as well as U.K. Champion in the 400m.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}

Still only 16 years old, Macdonald, a member of Pitreavie Amateur Athletic Clubhttp://www.pitreavie-aac.co.uk Pitreavie was selected to represent Great Britain at the 1980 Olympics Games in Moscow. In Moscow she qualified for the Olympic final, finishing 8th in 52.40 seconds. She was also a member of the 4x400 metre relay team that won the Olympic bronze medal.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68717 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=15 March 2025}}

In 1981 she won the Scottish and the U.K. 100m and 200m Championships, then won a bronze medal at the European Junior Championships.

MacDonald finished third behind Michelle Scutt in the 400 metres event at the 1982 WAAA Championships{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004941/19820801/583/0027 |title=It's agony for Sonia |work=Sunday Express |date=1 August 1982 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=15 March 2025}} and then represented Scotland at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia, where she qualified for the 400 final finishing 8th, but won a bronze medal with the 4x400m relay team. She went out in the heats of the Athens European Championships in 1982, but finished 5th in the 4x400 relay.

Coached until the age of 18 by Jimmy Brice, she was subsequently coached by John Anderson but never bettered her time of 51.16s at a 16-year-old.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} In 1985 she won the Scottish 400m metres championship, and the AAA Indoor 400m title.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}