Myra Nimmo
{{short description|British long jumper and academic}}
{{Use British English| date=January 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates| date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Myra Nimmo
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| nationality = British (Scottish)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|01|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
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| occupation = Long jumper, Academic
| years_active = 1972–76 (long jumper)
1993– (academic)
| employer = University of Birmingham
| website = {{URL|https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/biosciences/nimmo-myra.aspx}}
| worlds =
| regionals =
| nationals =
| olympics = 1976
| commonwealth = 1974
| highestranking =
| pb = 6.43{{nbsp}}m
| updated = 29 January 2017
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{{Infobox academic | child=yes
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| alma_mater = University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine
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| discipline = Physiology
| sub_discipline = Exercise physiology
| workplaces = {{flatlist|
}}
}}
}}
Myra Nimmo (born 5 January 1954) is a Scottish athlete and academic, who currently works at the University of Birmingham. As an athlete, she competed at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games and 1976 Summer Olympics in the long jump,{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ni/myra-nimmo-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417190955/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ni/myra-nimmo-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Myra Nimmo Olympic Results |accessdate=17 December 2017}} and was the Scottish long jump record holder from 1973 until 2012. From 2016 until 2021, she was the Chair of England Athletics.
Athletics career
Nimmo began her career in the sprint hurdles, and also ran in the relay team. She took up long jump during the winter of 1972–73.{{cite web| url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/athletics/nimmo-remains-one-step-ahead-1-1119630| title=Nimmo remains one step ahead| work=The Scotsman| date=27 May 2006| accessdate=29 January 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202091257/http://www.scotsman.com/sport/athletics/nimmo-remains-one-step-ahead-1-1119630| archive-date=2 February 2017| url-status=live}} In June 1973, Nimmo broke the Scottish national long jump record with a jump of 6.43{{nbsp}}m during a meeting at Meadowbank Stadium.{{cite news| url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12244327.Time_has_come_for_Scotland_apos_s_oldest_field_record_to_fall/| title=Time has come for Scotland's oldest field record to fall| work=The Herald| date=2 June 2001| accessdate=29 January 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202062912/http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12244327.Time_has_come_for_Scotland_apos_s_oldest_field_record_to_fall/| archive-date=2 February 2017| url-status=live}} Her record became the longest standing Scottish national athletics record, until it was broken in 2012 by the unrelated Jade Nimmo.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/17744054| title=Jade Nimmo breaks longstanding Scots long jump record| work=BBC Sport| date=17 April 2012| accessdate=29 January 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414005338/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/17744054| archive-date=14 April 2016| url-status=live}}
Nimmo became the British long jump champion after winning the British WAAA Championships title at the 1973 WAAA Championships.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002137/19730722/323/0042 |title=Athletic Results |work=Sunday Mirror |date=22 July 1973 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 March 2025 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004941/19730722/585/0032 |title=Crystal Palace Results |work=Sunday Express |date=22 July 1973 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 March 2025 }}{{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=7 March 2025}}
Nimmo competed in the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she came fourth in the long jump.{{cite web| url= https://www.scotstats.net/scotland/1969-to-1985/| title= THE METRIC ERA 1969–1985| publisher= Scots Stats| accessdate= 29 January 2017| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170202051115/https://www.scotstats.net/scotland/1969-to-1985/| archive-date= 2 February 2017| url-status= live}} Later in the year, she won a long jump event in Cwmbran, Wales. Nimmo was the only Scottish women to win an event at the meeting.
In 1975, she regained the WAAA long jump title at the 1975 WAAA Championships{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=7 March 2025 }} and won another event in Coatbridge, Scotland, in what became her last appearance for Scotland. Nimmo competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, finishing 24th with a best jump of 5.94{{nbsp}}m.{{cite web| url= http://www.sport-olympic.gr/sp/index.php/athletics/olympic-games-athletics/1976-olympic-games-montreal-athletics/1019-1976-olympic-games-montreal-women-s-long-jump| title= 1976 Olympic Games Montreal – Women's Long Jump| publisher=Sport Olympic| accessdate=29 January 2017}}
Academic career
Nimmo has a PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine. In 1993, Nimmo became an exercise physiologist at the University of Strathclyde. In 2007, she was appointed Professor of Exercise Physiology at Loughborough University's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences.{{cite web| url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/publicity/news-releases/2007/146_Nimmo.html| title=New Professor of Exercise Physiology appointed at Loughborough University| publisher=Loughborough University| date=21 November 2007| accessdate=29 January 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106222109/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/publicity/news-releases/2007/146_Nimmo.html| archive-date=6 January 2017| url-status=live}} She later became the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of College of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. In 2016, Nimmo was appointed the Chair of England Athletics.{{cite web| url=http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2016/06/england-athletics.aspx| title=Pro-Vice-Chancellor appointed Chair of England Athletics| publisher=University of Birmingham| date=27 June 2016| accessdate=29 January 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202070220/http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2016/06/england-athletics.aspx| archive-date=2 February 2017| url-status=live}} In January 2021, Nimmo announced that she would not be standing for re-election, but would stay Chair of England Athletics until a successor is found.{{cite web| url= https://www.englandathletics.org/about-us/news/myra-nimmo-to-leave-role-as-chair-of-england-athletics/| title=Myra Nimmo to leave role as Chair of England Athletics| publisher=England Athletics| date=25 January 2021| accessdate=25 March 2021}} On 1 September 2021, Nimmo was replaced by Gary Shaughnessy in the role.{{cite news| url=https://englandathletics.org/about-us/news/gary-shaughnessy-appointed-new-england-athletics-chair/| title=Gary Shaughnessy appointed new England Athletics chair| work=England Athletics| date=1 September 2021| accessdate=23 September 2021}}
References
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External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417190955/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ni/myra-nimmo-1.html Sports Reference]
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Category:Athletes from Edinburgh
Category:Scottish female long jumpers
Category:British female long jumpers
Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Scotland
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Category:Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Category:Scottish women academics
Category:Academics of Loughborough University
Category:Academics of the University of Birmingham
Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain