Val Peat

Val Peat, or Val Wild as she was known at the time, showed early promise as a runner at junior school in Thurscoe, South Yorkshire. She started running competitively at the age of 11 and joined the Hickleton Main Athletic Club before moving to the Dorothy Hyman Track Club in Barnsley, where she was coached by triple Olympic medallist Hyman.

After marrying Duncan Peat in February 1968, Valerie’s career took off, and that season she made her international début and won the sprint double at both the WAAAs and Northern Championships. Those successes gained Peat a place on the Great Britain team at the Mexico Olympics, where she reached the 100 metres semi-final after equalling Hyman’s British record 11.3 in the quarters. Unfortunately, Peat finished last in her semi-final, won by the eventual gold medallist, Wyomia Tyus (USA). The season finished with Peat being in the quartet that broke the world 4x200 metres world record with a 1:33.8 at Crystal Palace. Her team-mates that day were Maureen Tranter, Della James, and Janet Simpson.

Peat won two medals at the 1969 European Athletics Championships in Athens with bronze in both the 200 metres and 4×100 m relay. At the British Commonwealth Games at Edinburgh the following year, Peat added a relay silver as a member of the England team, but was deprived of a medal by a photo-finish in the 100 metres.

Domestically, Peat enjoyed two more WAAA podiums for finishing third in 1969 (200 metres) and 1977 (100 metres). She also won four more Northern titles between 1969-71. Unfortunately, injury ruled her out of the 1972 München (Munich) Olympics, and it was Illness and injury that forced her to eventually retire in 1976 when she went back to her roots at Hickleton Main to coach juniors Sadly, Peat died two weeks after her 50th birthday in 1997 after succumbing to cancer.

Personal Best: 100 – 11.39 (1968).