Ex-Olympic female javelin champ gets British award

LONDON: Britain’s Jamaica-born former Olympic javelin champion Tessa Sanderson has been appointed a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the New Year Honours. Sanderson became the first British black woman to win Olympic gold when she took the javelin title at the 1984 Games. She is currently vice-chairman of Sport England and has been rewarded for services during a 30-year career as both an athlete and an administrator. “I’m really thrilled, not just for myself but everyone I work with,” said the 47-year-old, who is also a triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist — 1978, 1986 and 1990.

Sanderson’s place in sporting history is preserved as the first British athlete to win a throwing event Olympic gold in Los Angeles. That victory was sweet revenge for the St Elizabeth-born thrower, who had missed out on the world title in Finland the previous year when home favourite Tina Lillak snatched gold with her very last throw. She appeared at her sixth Olympics in Atlanta 1996 and retired in 1997 after a remarkable 24 years of competition.