Wendy Smith-Sly


Wendy Sly MBE is a female British former athlete, who competed mainly in the 3000 metres. She won a silver medal in the event at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She won the 1983 10km World Road Race Championships in San Diego.

Early life

Sly was born in Hampton, Greater London, England. She attended Ashford County Grammar School, a co-educational grammar school now the site of Spelthorne College. She studied English Literature at Loughborough University from 1978-81.

Career

In 1978, as Wendy Smith, she finished 43rd at the World Cross Country Championships, and won a team bronze medal. In 1980, she was the UK number one in the 3000 metres and finished second in the 1500 metres at the UK Championships. In 1982, at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, she won a silver medal in the 3000 metres, running 8:48.47 behind Anne Audain.
In 1983, now competing as Wendy Sly, she finished fifth in the finals of both the 1500 metres and the 3000 metres at the inaugural World Championships in Helsinki. She ran her lifetime bests in both events, 4:04.14 in the 1500 m and 8:37.06 in the 3000 m. Also that year, she won the IAAF World Women's Road Race Championships in San Diego contested over 10 km.
At her first Olympic Games in 1984 in Los Angeles, Sly won a silver medal in the infamous 3000 metres final that included the collision between Mary Decker and Zola Budd, with whom she had a strong rivalry. She ran a season's best of 8:39.47. The race was won by Maricica Puică of Romania. She represented England in the 3,000 metres event, at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Sly finished eighth in the 1987 World Championships 3000 metres final in Rome. Then at her second Olympics in Seoul, she finished seventh in the 3000 metres final in 8:37.70, her fastest time in five years. She represented England in the 10,000 metres event, at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand.
As of 2019, Sly still ranks in the UK all-time top 10 lists in the 3000 metres, 10 km road and 15 km road.
She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to athletics.

Personal life

In 1997, she had a son, Max Heath. In 2013, she married her long-term partner, Andrew, whom she met through working together for her former university friend and colleague, Sebastian Coe.

National titles