Anita Neil was just a toddler when she discovered two things: who her father was, and that she could run fast. Neil would go on to be not just an Olympic athlete, but the first Black woman to represent Great Britain at the Games. The gesture became an iconic symbol, the Black Power salute, and was one of the most overtly political statements the Olympic Games had seen. “I just felt so hurt about everything.”Neil’s medals from the European games in Athens in 1969 for the 100 metres and 4x100 metres relay. When the Olympic torch passed through Wellingborough for the 2012 Games, Neil wasn’t asked to carry it, which was a blow.

Source: The Guardian June 10, 2021 04:52 UTC