Zola Budd
Zola Budd
© Copyright - 2011 - Christopher Kelsall
Zola Budd came to worldwide prominence during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The focus on her was intense for several reasons, none of which were necessarily healthy for a shy, small-town, 17-year-old girl from South Africa, who simply love to run a lot.
Growing up under the veil of Aparthied, she could not compete internationally while representing her country. South Africa was banned from Olympic competition from the 1962 Tokyo Olympic Games for not renouncing racial segregation. Other sports quickly followed suit including the biggest, FIFA. South Africa was not reinstated into the Olympics until the 1992 Games, which took place in Barcelona, Spain.
In order to compete internationally, having recently taken the world 5000m record (not ratified because of the ban) Budd was urged to seek citizenship in Great Britian by the tabloid newspaper, The Daily Mail. She sought citizenship under the guise that her Grandfather was British. She got her citizenship fast-tracked and ended up on the starting line of the Olympic 3000m final against her childhood hero, Mary Decker-Slaney, whose poster hung on the 17-year-old’s bedroom wall.
Decker-Slaney went down part way through the race and blamed Budd for the incident. It was later revealed that Budd was not responsible, but the damage was done. So hostile was the crowd, Budd purposely slowed down, so not to win a medal, to avoid dealing with the ensuing wrath.
She later took the world 5000m record again, in the time of 14:48.07.
Budd continued to run for Great Britain for a few years breaking several British and Commonwealth records in the 1500m, Mile and 3000m distances and that 5000m world record. Budd twice won the World Cross Country Championships in 1985 and 1986.
She was easily recognizable as she raced barefoot. To her this was normal, as she grew up running and walking barefoot at home in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, SA. She said, “in S.A. it is not only normal, but kids are encouraged to go barefoot because it is medically accepted that it is better for the development of a kid’s feet to go barefoot.“
Fast forward a couple of decades and we find her representing a minimalist running shoe manufacturer in Newton Running. She is firstly a mom of 3 kids, wife and a top-level master’s athlete.
Personal Bests
800m - 2.00.55
1500m - 3.59.96
Mile - 4:17.57
3,000m - 8.28.83
5,000m - 14.48.07
The interview
Christopher Kelsall: Having grown up running barefoot and later competing internationally without shoes, what do you make of all this new fascination with minimalism? Is it about time?
Zola Budd: It just proves that I was right a very long time ago! I think it is time that even Comrades athletes stop thinking of themselves as just mere runners but actually work on form as well and thus prevent injuries. Running in a shoe that promotes natural running form can help so much to prevent injuries. I must however add a word of caution as well. Please be conservative in your approach to change your running style and form.
CK: What is your role with Newton Running?
Read the rest of the interview at Athletics Illustrated
Zola Budd came to worldwide prominence during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The focus on her was intense for several reasons, none of which were necessarily healthy for a shy, small-town, 17-year-old girl from South Africa, who simply love to run a lot.
Growing up under the veil of Aparthied, she could not compete internationally while representing her country. South Africa was banned from Olympic competition from the 1962 Tokyo Olympic Games for not renouncing racial segregation. Other sports quickly followed suit including the biggest, FIFA. South Africa was not reinstated into the Olympics until the 1992 Games, which took place in Barcelona, Spain.
In order to compete internationally, having recently taken the world 5000m record (not ratified because of the ban) Budd was urged to seek citizenship in Great Britian by the tabloid newspaper, The Daily Mail. She sought citizenship under the guise that her Grandfather was British. She got her citizenship fast-tracked and ended up on the starting line of the Olympic 3000m final against her childhood hero, Mary Decker-Slaney, whose poster hung on the 17-year-old’s bedroom wall.
Decker-Slaney went down part way through the race and blamed Budd for the incident. It was later revealed that Budd was not responsible, but the damage was done. So hostile was the crowd, Budd purposely slowed down, so not to win a medal, to avoid dealing with the ensuing wrath.
She later took the world 5000m record again, in the time of 14:48.07.
Budd continued to run for Great Britain for a few years breaking several British and Commonwealth records in the 1500m, Mile and 3000m distances and that 5000m world record. Budd twice won the World Cross Country Championships in 1985 and 1986.
She was easily recognizable as she raced barefoot. To her this was normal, as she grew up running and walking barefoot at home in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, SA. She said, “in S.A. it is not only normal, but kids are encouraged to go barefoot because it is medically accepted that it is better for the development of a kid’s feet to go barefoot.“
Fast forward a couple of decades and we find her representing a minimalist running shoe manufacturer in Newton Running. She is firstly a mom of 3 kids, wife and a top-level master’s athlete.
Personal Bests
800m - 2.00.55
1500m - 3.59.96
Mile - 4:17.57
3,000m - 8.28.83
5,000m - 14.48.07
The interview
Christopher Kelsall: Having grown up running barefoot and later competing internationally without shoes, what do you make of all this new fascination with minimalism? Is it about time?
Zola Budd: It just proves that I was right a very long time ago! I think it is time that even Comrades athletes stop thinking of themselves as just mere runners but actually work on form as well and thus prevent injuries. Running in a shoe that promotes natural running form can help so much to prevent injuries. I must however add a word of caution as well. Please be conservative in your approach to change your running style and form.
CK: What is your role with Newton Running?
Read the rest of the interview at Athletics Illustrated
Contact Chris: chriskelsall@flocasts.org