Mary Rand: 1964 Olympic gold winner dies at age of 86

Mary Rand, the first British woman to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics, has died aged 86.

Rand captured the long jump title at the Tokyo Games in 1964, also winning silver in the inaugural women’s pentathlon and bronze in the 4x100m relay.

This also meant she became the first British woman to win gold, silver and bronze medals at a single Olympic Games.

In the long jump, Rand broke the British and Olympic records with her first leap of 6.59 metres, then broke the world record with her leap of 6.76 meters on her fifth attempt.

“Mary was the most talented athlete I’ve ever seen,” said Ann Packer, the 1964 Olympic 800-meter gold medalist and her roommate in Tokyo, a few days after Rand’s victory.

“He was as good as any athlete. There hasn’t been anyone like him since and I don’t believe there ever will be.”

Rand, whose first husband was British rower Sydney Rand, also won gold in the long jump at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica.

However, injury prevented him from defending his Olympic title in 1968 and he retired the same year at the age of 28.

Born in Wells, Somerset, he was just 17 when he broke his first British record in the pentathlon and won 12 national titles in the long jump, high jump, hurdles sprints and pentathlon during his illustrious career.

Rand was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1964 and was awarded the MBE in the 1965 New Year’s Honors List.