Moira Walls

Moira Walls
Personal information
National teamScotland, United Kingdom
Born (1952-05-04) 4 May 1952 (age 72)
Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation(s)High jumper, long jumper, pentathlete
RelativesLindsey Maguire (daughter)
Medal record
Long jump
Representing  Scotland
Bronze medal – third place 1970 Edinburgh Long jump
Updated on 7 July 2017

Moira Lindsay Maguire née Walls (born 4 May 1952), is a Scottish former high jumper, long jumper and pentathlete. She won a bronze medal in the high jump at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. She competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Personal life

Walls is from Milngavie near Glasgow, Scotland.[1] Her daughter Lindsey Maguire competed for Great Britain in rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[2]

Career

Walls was a member of Edinburgh Southern Harriers athletics club.[3] In 1969, Walls became Scottish national champion in the hurdles, high jump and long jump,[4] and also won a long jump event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, with a best jump of 20 feet 10.5 inches (6.36 m).[1] Walls competed in the high jump event at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. She won the bronze medal, and is the only Scottish high jumper to have won a Commonwealth Games medal.[5][4] In 1970, she had the best performance by a European in a long jump competition, after jumping 21 feet 3 inches (6.48 m). She was also ranked number two in Europe for pentathlon, and in the top six in Europe for the high jump.[6]

Walls competed in the high jump at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, finishing 31st.[7] In 1977, Walls broke the Scottish national high jump record, after clearing a height of 1.83 metres (6 ft 0 in). She was the first Scottish woman to clear a height of over 6 foot.[3]

Awards

Walls was a winner of the 1969 BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year award, along with Bernard Gallacher.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Triumph for Moira". The Guardian. 9 October 1969. p. 20. Retrieved 8 January 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "There's more to rowing than simply pulling on an oar, says Olympian elect Maguire". The Herald. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Thompson's Day". The Guardian. 8 August 1977. p. 16. Retrieved 8 January 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c Gillon, Doug (15 June 2012). "There's more to rowing than simply pulling on an oar, says Olympian elect Maguire". The Herald. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  5. ^ Forsyth, Paul (16 June 2013). "Commonwealth Games: Scotland's high jumpers primed". The Scotsman. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Marilyn picks Jamaica". The Guardian. 19 August 1970. p. 14. Retrieved 8 January 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Moira Walls". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2017.