Debbie Flintoff-King

Debbie Flintoff-King started out as a long jumper, hurdler and pentathlete, but after meeting her future coach and husband Phil King, concentrated on the 400 hurdles beginning in 1981. She made her international début at the 1982 Commonwealth Games, winning gold in the 400 hurdles and silver in the 4x400 relay.

After reaching the semis of the 400 hurdles at the 1983 World Championships and placing sixth at the 1984 Olympics, Flintoff-King won both the 400 metres and 400 hurdles at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, adding a silver in the 4x400. In 1987, she won silver at the World Championships and won the Grand Prix Final. The highlight of her career came at the 1988 Olympics, where she won Olympic gold by beating Soviet Tatyana Ledovskaya by a mere 1/100th of a second. Flintoff-King last competed internationally at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, where she won silvers in the 400 hurdles and 4x400 relay. She was also Australian 400 metre hurdles champion in 1982-86, 1988, and 1991; and 400 m champion in 1985-86.

She retired from sports after 1991 season. After her retirement, Flintoff-King worked as an athletics coach, her most famous pupils being two-time 400 m hurdles world champion Jana Pittman and sprinter Lauren Hewitt.

Personal Best: 400H – 53.17 (1988).