Editing Fatima Whitbread (section)

==Career==
===Early career===
Whitbread won the [[English Schools' Athletics Championships]] intermediate title in 1977,<ref name="SCHOOLS"/> and set a national intermediate record of {{T&Fcalc2|158|5}} in winning the [[Amateur Athletic Association of England|Amateur Athletic Association]] (AAA) women's championship the following month.<ref>{{cite news |last=Temple |first=Cliff |title=A welcome British selection in Clover |newspaper=The Times |date=23 August 1977 |page=8}}</ref> She placed sixth in the [[javelin throw]] at the [[Athletics at the 1978 Commonwealth Games – Women's javelin throw|1978 Commonwealth Games]], throwing {{T&Fcalc|49.16}}.<ref name="CG"/> Whitbread won gold in the javelin event at the [[1979 European Athletics Junior Championships]], throwing {{T&Fcalc|58.20}}.<ref name="WAH" /> She was selected for the [[Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|1980 Summer Olympics event]],<ref name="TEAMGB"/> but, achieving only
{{T&Fcalc|49.74}}, she failed to qualify for the final.<ref name="SR80" /> At the [[Athletics at the 1982 Commonwealth Games – Women's javelin throw|1982 Commonwealth Games]], Whitbread took the bronze medal, throwing {{T&Fcalc|58.86}}, which was {{T&Fcalc|5.6}} behind champion [[Sue Howland]], from Australia.<ref name="CG"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Today's medals |newspaper=Reading Evening Post |date=7 October 1982 |page=18 }}</ref>
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1984-0506-029, Petra Felke.jpg|thumb|alt=A light-skinned woman, with her right arm extended backwards, holding a javelin|left|upright|[[Petra Felke]] (pictured in 1984), who won gold ahead of Whitbread at the [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|1988 Summer Olympics]]<ref name="HEND"/>]]

Having finished behind fellow British competitor [[Tessa Sanderson]] in a run of 18 competitions, Whitbread finally defeated her rival with a throw of {{T&Fcalc|62.14}} to win the [[1983 UK Athletics Championships|UK Athletics Championship in 1983]],<ref name="HEND">{{cite web |last=Henderson |first=Jason |title=Fatima Whitbread at 60 |url=https://athleticsweekly.com/exclusive/fatima-whitbread-at-60-1039941120/ |work=Athletics Weekly |date=2 March 2021 |access-date=7 May 2022 |archive-date=9 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509002729/https://athleticsweekly.com/exclusive/fatima-whitbread-at-60-1039941120/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Athletics |newspaper=Sandwell Evening Mail |date=30 May 1983 |page=23}}</ref> Whitbread won the silver medal at the inaugural [[1983 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] in 1983, having narrowly qualified for the final.<ref name="HEND"/> She led throughout the final until [[Tiina Lillak]] bettered her mark with her last throw of the contest.<ref name="TEAMGB"/> A few days before the [[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|1984 Summer Olympics]], Whitbread had a stomach operation but was still able to travel to the Games and compete.<ref name="MAYS">{{cite news |last=Mays |first=Ken |title=How Sanderson buried Moscow miseries |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=8 August 1984 |page=22 }}</ref> She finished in the bronze medal position, with {{T&Fcalc|67.14}}, and Sanderson ({{T&Fcalc|69.56}}) won gold.<ref name="WAH"/><ref name="HEND"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Theresa Sanderson |url=https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/athletes/great-britain-ni/theresa-sanderson-014276273 |publisher=European Athletics |access-date=30 April 2022 |archive-date=30 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430165746/https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/athletes/great-britain-ni/theresa-sanderson-014276273 |url-status=live }}</ref> Lillak, who had a stress fracture in her right foot, won the silver medal. After the result, Whitbread commented that "I am so disappointed{{nbsp}}... I was not right on the night."<ref name="MAYS"/>

At the [[Athletics at the 1986 Commonwealth Games – Women's javelin throw|1986 Commonwealth Games]] in July, Whitbread broke the Games record twice during her first three throws, and led with a distance of {{T&Fcalc|68.54}}, before Sanderson achieved {{T&Fcalc|69.80}} and won.<ref>{{cite news |title=Whitbread still bitter |newspaper=Burton Mail |date=1 August 1986 |page=28}}</ref> Whitbread sat down crying on the field after the result for around 30 minutes. After the medal ceremony, she commented, while still visibly upset: "12 years of hard work. Still no [gold] medal{{nbsp}}... I've waited two long years since [the 1984 Summer Olympics]. And now I'm humiliated."<ref>{{cite news |last=Keating |first=Frank |title=Whitbread's bitterness overflows |newspaper=The Guardian |date=1 August 1986 |page=22 }}</ref> Sanderson, who had placed behind Whitbread in all of their seven post-1984 Olympics meetings before the Games, said "I don't mind losing to Fatima in the smaller competitions, but not in the big ones."<ref>{{cite news |title=Canadian wins 200 metres |newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman |date=1 August 1986 |page=28}}</ref>

===World record, and European and World championship wins===
The following month, Whitbread broke the [[javelin world record]] with a throw of {{T&Fcalc|77.44}} in the qualifying round of the [[1986 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|1986 European Championships]], more than 2 m further than the record set by [[Petra Felke]] of [[East Germany]] the previous year. She was the first British athlete to set a world record in a throwing event.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rodda |first=John |title=Whitbread's world record earns morning glory |newspaper=The Guardian |date=29 August 1986 |page=20 }}</ref> Felke led for the first three rounds, before Whitbread produced a throw of {{T&Fcalc|72.68}} in the fourth round, and {{T&Fcalc|73.68}} in the fifth round to win her first major championship gold.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mays |first=Ken |title=Whitbread finds her touch for first gold medal |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph| date=30 August 1986 |page=29}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Another golden day |newspaper=Western Daily Herald | date=30 August 1986 |page=28}}</ref> Whitbread later wrote that "All the years of training had finally come to something{{nbsp}}... I went on my lap of honour{{nbsp}}... Spontaneously, I wiggled my hips in happiness, a victory wiggle."<ref name="FWAUTO"/>{{rp|168}} The record was beaten by Felke in July 1987 with a throw of {{T&Fcalc|79.80}}.<ref>{{cite news |last=Butcher |first=Pat |title=Felke throws out a new challenge |newspaper=The Times |date=31 July 1987 |page=30}}</ref>

Whitbread qualified for the final of the [[1987 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|1987 World Championships]] in second place behind Felke.<ref>{{cite news |title=Javelin duo lift GB hopes |newspaper=Cambridge Evening News |date=5 September 1987 |page=4 }}</ref> Her throw of {{T&Fcalc|76.64}} was, at the time, the third-longest ever, and won her the title ahead of Felke. Sanderson was fourth.<ref>{{cite news |last=Keating |first=Frank |title=Fatima spearheads British victories |newspaper=The Guardian |date=7 September 1987 |page=1}}</ref> Her celebratory wiggles after defeating Felke in the World and European event became well known in the UK. She was voted winner of the [[BBC Sports Personality of the Year]] award in 1987.<ref name="BBCa">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/spl/hi/tv_and_radio/02/sport_personality/past_winners/html/1984.stm|title=Sports Personality of the Year – Past Winners|work=BBC Sport|access-date=23 November 2007|archive-date=22 July 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040722114921/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/spl/hi/tv_and_radio/02/sport_personality/past_winners/html/1984.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> David Powell wrote in ''[[The Times]]'', that "To that practiced smile, she has added the 'Whitbread wiggle'. She is succeeding in bringing personality to her event in the same way that [[Willie Banks]] did to the triple jump."<ref name="POWELL">{{cite news| last=Powell |first=David |newspaper=The Times |title= Whitbread's winter work |date=10 September 1987 |page=42}}</ref>

===Later career===
In the months leading up to the [[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|1988 Summer Olympics]] in [[Seoul]], Whitbread suffered from several ailments: a shoulder injury, [[boils]], [[glandular fever]] and problems with her [[gums]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Mays |first=Ken |title=Whitbread has happy return |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=15 August 1988 |page=30 }}</ref> Whitbread won the silver medal behind Felke,<ref name="HEND"/> with a throw that, although her best of the season, was some four metres less than her rival.<ref name="TEAMGB"/><ref name="MAYS88" /> Whitbread commented "If I had to be beaten, I am glad it was by Petra."<ref name="MAYS88">{{cite news |last=Mays |first=Ken |title=Whitbread and Jackson forced to settle for second best |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=27 September 1988 |page=36 }}</ref>

Whitbread's later career was affected by a long-term shoulder injury, which she believed dated back to her world record throw in 1986. The [[1990 UK Athletics Championships]] was the last event that she participated in, and she sustained a further shoulder injury there. In 1992 she formally retired from competition.<ref name="TEAMGB"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Louise |title= Javelin stalwart admits defeat |newspaper=The Times |date=14 January 1992 |page=36}}</ref>

===Rivalry with Tessa Sanderson===
Alan Hubbard wrote in a 1990 article in ''The Observer'' about Whitbread and Sanderson that "their hate-hate relationship has been one of the most enduring in British sport," lasting almost a decade.<ref name="HUBBARD"/> In 2009, Tom Lamont commented in ''[[The Guardian]]'' that "Whitbread and Sanderson were always uneasy rivals and the enmity that developed during their overlapping careers became as famous as their achievements, and seems to survive in their retirement."<ref name="FROZEN">{{cite news |last=Lamont |first=Tom |date=26 July 2009 |title=Frozen in time |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/jul/26/whitbread-sanderson-paish-javelin-la-olympics |work=The Guardian  |access-date=13 July 2020 |archive-date=13 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713234958/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/jul/26/whitbread-sanderson-paish-javelin-la-olympics |url-status=live }}</ref> Hubbard cited Sanderson's perception that Whitbread received preferential treatment from the British Amateur Athletic Board. The Board's promotions officer, Andy Norman, who had a role in setting British athletes' fees, was a family friend of Whitbread and her mother.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mays |first=Ken|title=Whitbread & Sanderson fall out |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date =1 July 1985 |page=22 }}</ref><ref name="HUBBARD">{{cite news |last=Hubbard |first=Alan|date=28 October 1990|title=Feuds corner: Sanderson v Whitbread |work=The Observer |page=23}}</ref> In 1985, Whitbread often participated in international events but Sanderson took part in only one in the season ending in June 1985. Sanderson claimed that this was because she lacked supporters in the meetings where representatives were determined; she said that "Fatima has Andy Norman looking after her in meetings ... and, of course, her mother, Margaret, is the national event coach".<ref>{{cite news |last=Brasher |first=Christopher |title=Cram shunted aside by flying Scotsman |newspaper=The Observer |date=30 June 1985 |page=39}}</ref> In 1987, Sanderson threatened to boycott six official athletics events, for which she was to be paid £1,000 each by British Athletics compared to Whitbread's £10,000.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=29 May 1987 |title=Sport in Brief: Sanderson pay bid – Athletics |work=The Times |page=42  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=3 June 1987 |title=Athletics: Sanderson offered improved pay deal |work=The Times |page=54 |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news%2F0F90F07D6B4A5570 |via=NewsBank |access-date=14 July 2020 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029215530/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/user/login?destination=document-view%3Fp%3DAWNB%26docref%3Dnews%2F0F90F07D6B4A5570 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sanderson also objected to the Whitbreads' endorsement of Howland, who competed at the 1990 Commonwealth Games after a two-year doping suspension, since Howland was Australian, and Sanderson felt they should have supported British athletes instead.<ref name="HUBBARD" /><ref name="ENGEL90">{{cite news |last=Engel |first=Matthew|date=2 February 1990|title=Coe saves deposit as Sanderson loses her cool |work=The Guardian  |page=20}}</ref>

During their respective careers, Whitbread gained one world and one European title; Sanderson won an Olympic and three Commonwealth golds.<ref name="FIELD">{{cite news |title=Tessa Sanderson on race, rivalry and modelling – Exclusive interview |first=Pippa |last=Field |date=16 August 2019 | newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |pages=6–7}}</ref> In all, Sanderson placed higher in 27 of the 45 times that they faced each other in competition, although Whitbread had the better results of the pair from 1984 to 1987.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uka.org.uk/ba-home-straight/hall-of-fame-athletes/tessa-sanderson/ |title=Tessa Sanderson |author=<!--Not stated--> |work=UK Athletics |access-date=13 July 2020 |archive-date=12 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812090039/https://www.uka.org.uk/ba-home-straight/hall-of-fame-athletes/tessa-sanderson/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1993, coach Peter Lawler favourably compared Whitbread's technique to Sanderson's, writing in ''IAAF New Studies in Athletics'' that "the alignments of Whitbread and [Mick] Hill are as straight as a cricket text book's bat. Whitbread perfected the turning on to the shaft while Sanderson often sagged through the delivery."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Lawler |first=Peter |title=Javelin: Developments in the Technique |journal=Modern Athlete & Coach |year=2016 |orig-date=1996 |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=18–21}}</ref><!--Originally published in IAAF New Studies in Athletics 1993 No. 3, and later in Modern Athlete & Coach Vol. 34 Number 2 (April 1996)-->