Susan Christina Richardson (née Hearnshaw, formerly Telfer, born 26 May 1961) is a British retired athlete who competed mainly in the long jump. She won the 1984 Olympic bronze medal in the long jump, having won the European Indoor title a few months earlier. Her long jump best of 6.83 metres in 1984, ranks her eighth on the UK all-time list.

Sue Hearnshaw
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1984 Los Angeles Long Jump

Athletics career

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Born Susan Hearnshaw in Liversedge, West Yorkshire, she competed for Great Britain at the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, U.S. in the long jump where she won the bronze medal. Her mother, Muriel Pletts, had competed in the first post-war Summer Olympic Games in London in 1948, finishing fourth as part of the British women's 4 x 100 metre relay team.[1]

She represented England in the long jump event, at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.[2] Four years later she represented England again in the long jump event, at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.[3][4] Hearnshaw achieved her legal best in the long jump with 6.83 metres on 6 May 1984. She also jumped a wind-assisted 7.00 metres when winning the UK Championship title on 27 May 1984.

Personal life

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A graduate of Loughborough University, she subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

International competitions

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing   Great Britain /   England
1977 European Junior Championships Donetsk, Soviet Union 12th Long jump 5.54 m
1978 Commonwealth Games Edmonton, Canada 4th Long jump 6.40 m
European Championships Prague, Czechoslovakia 16th (q) Long jump 6.25 m
1979 European Junior Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 3rd Long jump 6.46 m
1980 Olympic Games Moscow, Soviet Union 9th Long jump 6.50 m
1981 Universiade Bucharest, Romania 5th Long jump 6.53 m
2nd 4 × 100 m 43.86
1982 Commonwealth Games Brisbane, Australia 5th Long jump 6.50 m
1984 European Indoor Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 1st Long jump 6.70 m
Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States 3rd Long jump 6.80 m (w)
(q) Indicates overall position in qualifying round

References

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  1. ^ Sam Knight (9 June 2012). "The Olympians: Muriel Pletts, Great Britain". Financial Times Magazine.
  2. ^ "1978 Athletes". Team England.
  3. ^ "1982 Athletes". Team England.
  4. ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.