Athletics at the 1986 Commonwealth Games

The track at the host stadium in Edinburgh

At the 1986 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. A total of 41 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 18 by female athletes.

The majority of African, Asian and Caribbean countries boycotted the event due to the United Kingdom's sporting links with apartheid-era South Africa. As a result, the medallists came from only seven nations, comprising the four constituent countries of the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. England easily topped the medal table with eighteen gold medals and 48 medals in total. Canada was second, with ten golds and 28 medals overall, while Australia took third place with nine golds and a total of 26 medals. The hosts Scotland won one gold and six medals while Northern Ireland (typically weak in the sport) had one of their best games, with one gold and four medals overall.

Medal summary

Men

Steve Cram did an 800/1500 m middle-distance double for England.
Event Gold Silver Bronze
100 metres  Ben Johnson (CAN) 10.07  Linford Christie (ENG) 10.28  Mike McFarlane (ENG) 10.35
200 metres  Atlee Mahorn (CAN) 20.31  Todd Bennett (ENG) 20.54  Ben Johnson (CAN) 20.64
400 metres  Roger Black (ENG) 45.57  Darren Clark (AUS) 45.98  Phil Brown (ENG) 46.8
800 metres  Steve Cram (ENG) 1:43.22 GR  Tom McKean (SCO) 1:44.80  Peter Elliott (ENG) 1:45.42
1500 metres  Steve Cram (ENG) 3:50.87  John Gladwin (ENG) 3:52.17  David Campbell (CAN) 3:54.06
5000 metres  Steve Ovett (ENG) 13:24.11  Jack Buckner (ENG) 13:25.87  Tim Hutchings (ENG) 13:26.84
10,000 metres  Jon Solly (ENG) 27:57.42  Steve Binns (ENG) 27:58.01  Steve Jones (WAL) 28:02.48
Marathon  Rob de Castella (AUS) 2:10:15  Dave Edge (CAN) 2:11:08  Steve Moneghetti (AUS) 2:11:18
3000 m steeplechase  Graeme Fell (CAN) 8:24.49  Roger Hackney (WAL) 8:25.15  Colin Reitz (ENG) 8:26.14
110 m hurdles
(wind: 4.5 m/s)		  Mark McKoy (CAN) 13.31 (w)  Colin Jackson (WAL) 13.42 (w)  Don Wright (AUS) 13.64 (w)
400 m hurdles  Phil Beattie (NIR) 49.60  Max Robertson (ENG) 49.77  John Graham (CAN) 50.25
High jump  Milton Ottey (CAN) 2.30 m  Geoff Parsons (SCO) 2.28 m  Alain Metellus (CAN)
 Henderson Pierre (ENG) 		2.14 m
Pole vault  Andy Ashurst (ENG) 5.30 m  Robert Feguson (CAN) 5.20 m  Neil Honey (AUS) 5.20 m
Long jump  Gary Honey (AUS) 8.08 m  Fred Salle (ENG) 7.83 m  Kyle McDuffie (CAN) 7.79 m
Triple jump  John Herbert (ENG) 17.27 m  Mike Makin (ENG) 16.87 m  Peter Beames (AUS) 16.42 m
Shot put  Billy Cole (ENG) 18.16 m  Joe Quigley (AUS) 17.97 m  Stuart Gyngell (AUS) 17.70 m
Discus throw  Ray Lazdins (CAN) 58.86 m  Paul Nandapi (AUS) 57.74 m  Werner Reiterer (AUS) 57.34 m
Hammer throw  Dave Smith (ENG) 74.06 m  Martin Girvan (NIR) 70.48 m  Phil Spivey (AUS) 70.30 m
Javelin throw
(new javelin model)		  David Ottley (ENG) 80.62 m GR  Mick Hill (ENG) 78.56 m  Gavin Lovegrove (NZL) 76.22 m
Decathlon  Daley Thompson (ENG) 8663 pts GR  Dave Steen (CAN) 8173 pts  Simon Poelman (NZL) 8015 pts
30 Kilometres Road Walk  Simon Baker (AUS) 2:07:47 GR  Guillaume Leblanc (CAN) 2:08:38  Ian McCombie (ENG) 2:10:36
4×100 m relay  Canada
Mark McKoy
Atlee Mahorn
Desai Williams
Ben Johnson 		39.15  England
Lincoln Asquith
Daley Thompson
Mike McFarlane
Clarence Callender 		39.19  Scotland
Jamie Henderson
Cameron Sharp
George McCallum
Elliot Bunney 		40.41
4×400 m relay  England
Kriss Akabusi
Phil Brown
Roger Black
Todd Bennett 		3:07.19  Australia
Darren Clark
David Johnston
Bruce Frayne
Miles Murphy 		3:07.81  Canada
Andre Smith
Anton Skerritt
Atlee Mahorn
John Graham 		3:08.69

Women

Event Gold Silver Bronze
100 metres  Heather Oakes (ENG) 11.20  Paula Dunn (ENG) 11.21  Angella Issajenko (CAN) 11.21
200 metres  Angella Issajenko (CAN) 22.91  Kathy Cook (ENG) 23.18  Sandra Whittaker (SCO) 23.46
400 metres  Debbie Flintoff (AUS) 51.29  Jillian Richardson (CAN) 51.62  Kathy Cook (ENG) 51.88
800 metres  Kirsty Wade (WAL) 2:00.94  Diane Edwards (ENG) 2:01.12  Lorraine Baker (ENG) 2:01.79
1500 metres  Kirsty Wade (WAL) 4:10.91  Debbie Bowker (CAN) 4:11.94  Lynn Williams (CAN) 4:12.66
3000 metres  Lynn Williams (CAN) 8:54.29  Debbie Bowker (CAN) 8:54.83  Yvonne Murray (SCO) 8:55.32
10,000 metres  Liz Lynch (SCO) 31:41.42  Anne Audain (NZL) 31:53.31  Angela Tooby (WAL) 32:25.38
Marathon  Lisa Martin (AUS) 2:26:07  Lorraine Moller (NZL) 2:28:17  Odette Lapierre (CAN) 2:31:48
100 m hurdles  Sally Gunnell (ENG) 13.29  Wendy Jeal (ENG) 13.41  Glynis Nunn (AUS) 13.44
400 m hurdles  Debbie Flintoff (AUS) 54.94  Donalda Duprey (CAN) 56.55  Jenny Laurendet (AUS) 56.57
High jump  Christine Stanton (AUS) 1.92 m  Sharon McPeake (NIR) 1.90 m  Janet Boyle (NIR) 1.90 m
Long jump  Joyce Oladapo (ENG) 6.43 m  Mary Berkeley (ENG) 6.40 m  Robyn Lorraway (AUS) 6.35 m
Shot put  Gael Martin (AUS) 19.00 m  Judy Oakes (ENG) 18.75 m  Myrtle Augee (ENG) 17.52 m
Discus throw  Gael Martin (AUS) 56.42 m  Venissa Head (WAL) 56.20 m  Karen Pugh (ENG) 54.72 m
Javelin throw  Tessa Sanderson (ENG) 69.80 m GR  Fatima Whitbread (ENG) 68.54 m  Sue Howland (AUS) 64.74 m
Heptathlon  Judy Simpson (ENG) 6282 pts  Jane Flemming (AUS) 6278 pts  Kim Hagger (ENG) 5823 pts
4×100 m relay  England
Paula Dunn
Kathy Cook
Joan Baptiste
Heather Oakes 		43.39  Canada
Angela Bailey
Esmie Lawrence
Angela Phipps
Angella Issajenko 		43.83  Wales
Helen Miles
Sian Morris
Sallyanne Short
Carmen Smart 		45.37
4×400 m relay  Canada
Charmaine Crooks
Marita Payne-Wiggins
Molly Killingbeck
Jillian Richardson 		3:28.92  England
Jane Parry
Linda Keough
Angela Piggford
Kathy Cook 		3:32.82  Australia
Maree Chapman
Sharon Stewart
Julie Schwass
Debbie Flintoff 		3:32.86

Medal table

Robert de Castella (right) won the marathon title for Australia.
Tessa Sanderson set a Games record for the javelin gold medal.
Key
  The host country is highlighted in lavender blue
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  England 18 18 12 48
2  Canada 10 9 9 28
3  Australia 9 5 12 26
4  Wales 2 3 3 8
5  Scotland 1 2 3 6
6  Northern Ireland 1 2 1 4
7  New Zealand 0 2 2 4
Total 41 41 42 124

References