Rosemary STIRLING

 Rosemary Stirling was one of Britain's top female 400m/800m runners between the mid-1960s and early 1970s. Born in 1947 in New Zealand to British parents, her family returned to the UK in the early 60s and settled in Wolverhampton. She joined Wolverhampton Harriers in 1962 and, two years later, aged 16, came to the fore by running 2.15.5 for 880y, the fastest intermediate time in Britain that year, a time she improved to 2.13.9 in an international schools match in Brighton in 1965. The following year she also started competing at 440y, clocking 55.2 to take 3rd place in that season's WAAA's Championships senior 440y final. Later in 1966, still aged only 18, Rosemary competed for Scotland (due to her Scottish father) at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, finishing 4th in the finals of both the 440y (54.4) and 880y (2.05.4). She failed to make the Great Britain squad for the Mexico Olympics in 1968 but the following year, at the European Championships in Athens, she won her first major international medal, running the lead leg (54.2) as Britain took gold in an epic 4 x 400m relay final in a world record time of 3.30.8. In 1970, Rosemary claimed the 800m title in front of her 'home' crowd at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, edging out Pat Lowe (Eng) and Cheryl Peasley (Aus) in a thrilling finish  to win gold in 2.06.2.

She carried her excellent 800m form into 1971, winning the bronze medal (in a personal best of 2.02.1) at the European Championships in Helsinki, having earlier that season claimed bronze in the same event at the European Indoor Championships (2.06.6). Rosemary finished a creditable 7th in the 800m final at the Munich Olympics in 1972, her career-best time of 2.00.15 lasting as a British record until 1979 (when Christina Boxer ran 1.59.05) and a Scottish record until 2002 (when Susan Scott recorded 1.59.3). She also ran the anchor leg in the final of the 4 x 400m relay, bringing Great Britain home in 5th place in a time of 3.28.75. At the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, she reached the semi-finals of the 800m and helped Scotland to 4th place in the 4 x 400m final (3:35.2), before making her last appearance in a major international championship later that year, reaching the 800m semi-finals at the European Championships in Rome.  She married distance runner Trevor Wright, runner-up in the marathon at the 1971 European Championships and 3rd in the inaugural London Marathon in 1981, an event Rosemary also competed in, placing a very respectable 16th (2:54:10) in the women's race. (Martin Greensill).