Lilian Board
Leicester_Hunk
Posts: 18,316 Forum Member
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My mum and dad were talking about this girl last night. I didn't know anything about her, she died before I was born, so I looked her up after my dad said she would have been the best British female runner ever, had amazing potential, would have gone on to as far as Moscow in 1980 and been up there commentating today on the BBC alongside Michael Johnson.
As I said I looked her up and what made me smirk was how differently they dressed on the track back then. She wore what looked like Bridget Jones big pants - contrast with KJT and Jess Ennis's almost bikinis!
Does anyone else actually remember this girl, anyone old enough?
As I said I looked her up and what made me smirk was how differently they dressed on the track back then. She wore what looked like Bridget Jones big pants - contrast with KJT and Jess Ennis's almost bikinis!
Does anyone else actually remember this girl, anyone old enough?
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These are the "big pants" from about the late 60s I think.
Interesting to see the evolution of athletics gear over the years.
Yes I looked it up as I knew nothing about it as it was well before my time, my dad was talking about it. She was only 21.
She won a medal at the Olympics but died of cancer in her early 20s
very sad
Wish they could sort all that out and take them off the cheating arses.
That's right- and David Emery wrote her biography.
Tragic story. A couple of grainy clips on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqUn39p0Go
The 4x400 metres finish is simply brilliant, together with a very excited David Coleman.
This is her Silver medal at the Olympics in 1968
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A3ryJX4aFc
It'll never happen there's too many of them.
It wasn't until a few years later that I was able to put her performances and achievements into context, and appreciate just how special she had been. Reading her biography, you realise just how amateurish athletics was in those days: had she been running in the modern era, with decent coaching, nutrition and medical care, she would have been a world-beater.
Thanks for these Chris. I've sent the links to my dad as well !!
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Not to forget certain Americans and others!
She was a phenomenally natural athlete and even though at the time I was a mere slip of a lad, I can remember even then her death had an effect on me. She was the Darling of the nation at the time and the whole country was deeply saddened at her passing. She would have been the best on the planet at her sport had she lived. And can I finally say it's fantastic to see that she is still living in the memories of people some 45 years later.
RIP Lilian, long gone but most certainly not forgotten.
It was just outside Munich, in Bavaria, a beautiful part of the world. She was under the 'care' of an utter charlatan called Josef Issels, who later had Bob Marley as a patient, but I don't think there was a doctor on the planet at that time who could have saved her.
And had two sons who both played for Manchester City.
No problem. Its amazing what you can find on Youtube.
Click on the keyword "Lillian Board" on the main photo and there some fabulous old photo's here:
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/lillian-board-of-great-britain-winning-the-womens-800-news-photo/473938960
David Coleman's commentary on Ann Packers 800m victory in 1964 Olympics is wonderful.
Board died far too young.
The bikini pictures of them
There has been some talk about women's sportswear in the modern era. I'm not worried that Jess Ennis-Hill wears a bikini. If she's comfortable in it and it gives her freedom of movement to enhance her performance then all good, I say.
What I have noticed though, looking at some of the images of British athletes over previous Games, is that Britain, up until Seoul '88 used to compete in an all white kit with two bands around the chest, one red and one blue..
I quite liked that kit. It was very distinctive and it seemed to say "Great Britain" in its very design.
The first Olympics I ever watched was Barcelona '92 which was when we started to play silly buggers with our kit. Rio's Team GB kit, with that ridiculous Royal Cypher on it was silly. Stella McCartney should never be allowed anywhere near a British sports team design ever again.
Big pants or bikini bottoms, I don't care. But I really would like to see a return to the white kit with the red and blue band.