GAIL Bought Nails

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 73rd birthday today (Sunday) to an Olympic champion. This Olympic gold medalist broke the world record in winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games.

This Olympic champion worked in a post office and was also a pretty good swimmer.

An injury prevented this athlete from competing in a third Olympic Games.

Only 20 years old at this athlete's first Olympic Games, our birthday person placed fourth in those Games.

Our birthday athlete owns a complete set of Olympic medals (gold, silver, and bronze).

Born on a Saturday in February, this champion won Olympic gold on a Wednesday.

The first person to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field (in this athlete's category) from this athlete's country was our birthday athlete.

Unscramble the six capital letters from the title to get a good clue as to who our mystery person is.

With three daughters, our birthday athlete has been retired from track and field for many years now.

Who is this gold medalist with three Olympic medals?

[bambam]

Mary Denise Bignal-Rand (-Toomey, -Reese)

[DoubleRBar]

Very good bambam and happy birthday today to Mary Rand (Reese). Most of you know Mary was fourth in the 1960 women's 80 meter hurdles and then in Tokyo (1964) she won the long jump with a world record, came second in the pentathlon, and took the bronze as part of the UK four by 100 relay team (second leg). Not many athletes have won a complete set of Olympic medals in one Games. Can you name others in track and field?
I understand Mary lives today in central California.

[mcgato]

I think Jeter got a complete set of medals last year.

[dukehjsteve]

Thane Baker won all 3 in 1956:

100 meters Silver

200 meters Bronze

400 meters relay Gold

[DoubleRBar]

Way to go, mcgato and dukehjsteve. There's two right away.

[LopenUupunut]

Bevil Rudd did it in 1920... gold in 400, silver in 4x400, bronze in 800.

Pretty sure one of the British distance runners did it in 1900, but I'm blanking on his name.

[DoubleRBar]

One of my favorites is Bevil Rudd. His grandfather co-founded De Beers Mining Company in South Africa.

[lovetorun]

Wow, the knowledge you guys have blows me away.

[bambam]

Here's the complete list - full set of medals in athletics at one Olympic Games (10):

G S B TM Name Gdr NOC Year
2 2 1 5 Walter Tewksbury M USA 1900
1 1 1 3 James B. Connolly M USA 1896
1 1 1 3 Sidney Robinson M GBR 1900
1 1 1 3 Ralph Rose M USA 1904
1 1 1 3 Bevil Rudd M RSA 1920
1 1 1 3 Thane Baker M USA 1956
1 1 1 3 Mary Bignal-Rand F GBR 1964
1 1 1 3 Renate Stecher F GDR 1976
1 1 1 3 Justin Gatlin M USA 2004
1 1 1 3 Carmelita Jeter F USA 2012

And those doing it in individual events only (3):

IG IS IB ITM Name Gdr NOC Year
2 2 1 5 Walter Tewksbury M USA 1900
1 1 1 3 James B. Connolly M USA 1896
1 1 1 3 Ralph Rose M USA 1904

[DoubleRBar]

Wow, thanks bambam. It's been a long time since someone did it in individual events only.

[4:24-miler]

Darn, I saw the thread title and I thought it was about Gail Devers and her long decorative finger nails!

[DoubleRBar]

I did too.

[jhc68]

Mary Rand trained at UCSB in the lead-up to the Mexico City games… she was beautiful and stronger and faster than most of the guys on the Gaucho team and sooo nice… we were all secretly in love with her.

[mump boy]

I met Mary Rand in the summer

I cried !!

[runforlife]

Darn, I saw the thread title and I thought it was about Gail Devers

I took the oposite direction and thought it was about Gail Young. Both wrong.