Midlands' Olympic legends: Tessa Sanderson

  • Central
Credit: Phil O'Brien / EMPICS Sport

  • Date of Birth: 14/03/1956

  • Place of Birth: St Elizabeth, Jamaica (moved to Wolverhampton)

  • Sport: Athletics

  • Event: Javelin

  • Games competed: Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996

  • Olympic Gold - Los Angeles 1984 - Javelin

Tessa Sanderson competed at six Olympic Games in the Javelin event between 1976 and 1996.

Her defining moment came in 1984 when she won the gold medal, beating fellow Brit and long-standing rival Fatima Whitbread, who finished third.

She also won Javelin gold at three different Commonwealth Games, in 1978, 1986 and 1990.

Following Sanderson’s Olympic gold medal win, she received an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.

In 1997, she was honoured with an OBE for her charity work and seven years later she was awarded with a CBE for her contribution to sport.

Tessa served as Vice-Chairman of Sport England between 1999 and 2005.