Debbie Heald
Debbie Heald (born 20 August 1955) is a former American track and field athlete, known for her success in middle-distance races.[1]
Early life
Heald is the daughter of Richard and Ernestine Heald. She grew up in La Mirada, California.[2]
Career
At the age of eleven, Heald was a member of the Hutchinson Track Club.[2] At a meet in Lancaster, she finished a mile race with a time of 5:33.9, which at the time was the fastest time recorded for a girl of her age.[3] By the time she was fourteen, Heald had won three state running championships and five district Amateur Athletic Union titles. She also held two national crowns.[4]
Heald defeated the then-current 1500m world record holder Tamara Pangelova of the USSR on March 17, 1972, at the Richmond Coliseum.[5][6][7][8] Her win was a significant victory as it was during the height of the Cold War and prior to this the Soviets had predominantly dominated the sport.[9]
As well as winning, with that race Heald also set an American high school record for the indoor mile for girls track (with a time of 4:38.5), which stood for over 40 years, until finally broken on January 26, 2013, by Mary Cain.[10][2][11][12] Until that time, Heald's record was the longest-standing of any girls' high school record.[13][14]
Heald attended California State University, Fullerton, graduating with a degree in education.[9] Heald continued to train throughout her college years, but her career was progressively hampered by repeated injuries and tendonitis from overtraining, as well as a diagnosis of schizophrenia.[2]
In 2002, Heald carried the Olympic torch in Los Angeles on its nationwide tour in advance of the Winter Olympic Games at Salt Lake City.[9][15]
References
- ^ Debbie Heald at World Athletics
- ^ a b c d "Debbie Heald Set an Important Record". Runner's World. 2012-12-03. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "Faces In The Crowd". Sports Illustrated. 17 July 1967
- ^ "Faces In The Crowd". Sports Illustrated, 14 December 1970.
- ^ United States. Congress (1972). Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ Putnam, Pat. "THEY'RE SWEET 16 AND DESERVE A KISS". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ The Sports Illustrated Vault - SI.com
- ^ Belson, Ken (16 February 2013). "High School Junior Makes Mile the Race to Watch". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c Pucin, Diane (2002-01-14). "Rough Run". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "Mary Cain shatters high school mile record after taking SATs". January 28, 2013.
- ^ "Rock 'n' Roll Running Series". www.runrocknroll.com. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "Women's Indoor High School Records".
- ^ [High School Junior Makes Mile the Race to Watch"]. New York Times. KEN BELSON February 15, 2013
- ^ "Mary Cain shatters high school mile record after taking SATs - USA TODAY High School Sports". Archived from the original on 2013-12-26. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ^ Janet Heinonen (1979). Sports illustrated running for women. Lippincott. ISBN 978-0-397-01331-9.
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Amateur Athletic Union
- 1967–8: Doris Brown
- 1969: Abby Hoffman (CAN)* (2) Cheryl Bridges
- 1970: Kathy Gibbons
- 1971–2: Doris Brown
- 1973: Lyudmila Bragina (URS)* (3) Debbie Heald
- 1974: Robin Campbell
- 1975: Francie Larrieu
- 1976: Jan Merrill
- 1977–9: Francie Larrieu
The Athletics Congress
- 1980: Maggie Keyes
- 1981: Jan Merrill
- 1982: Cathie Twomey
- 1983: Darlene Beckford
- 1984: Brit McRoberts (CAN)* (2) Jan Merrill
- 1985: Doina Melinte (ROM)* (5) Renee Odom
- 1986: Maricica Puică (ROM)* (2) Sue Addison
- 1987: Doina Melinte (ROM)* (2) Darlene Beckford
- 1988: Doina Melinte (ROM)* (2) Alisa Harvey
- 1989: Linda Sheskey
- 1990: Doina Melinte (ROM)* (2) PattiSue Plumer
- 1991: Suzy Hamilton
- 1992: Lynn Jennings
USA Track & Field
- 1993: Shelly Steely
- 1994: Hassiba Boulmerka (ALG)* (2) Gina Procaccio
- 1995: Regina Jacobs
- 1996: Stephanie Best
- 1997: Mary Slaney
- 1998–9: Suzy Hamilton
- 2000: Regina Jacobs
- 2001: Colette Liss
- 2002–3: Regina Jacobs
- 2004–5: Jen Toomey
- 2006: Treniere Clement
- 2007: Shayne Culpepper
- 2008: Christin Wurth
- 2009: Anna Willard
- 2010: Morgan Uceny
- 2011–2: Jenny Simpson
- 2013–4: Mary Cain
- 2015: Shannon Rowbury
- 2016: Brenda Martinez
- 2017–8: Shelby Houlihan
- 2019: Colleen Quigley
- 2020: Shelby Houlihan
- 2022: Heather MacLean
- 2023: Nikki Hiltz
- 2024: Nikki Hiltz