Mary Rand, first British woman to win Olympic gold in athletics, dies aged 86

Mary Rand, the first British woman to win an Olympic gold in athletics, has died aged 86.

She won the long jump title when she competed at the Tokyo Games in 1964.

Rand, who was born in Wells, Somerset, broke the British and Olympic records with her first attempt at 6.59 metres, and in her final effort she smashed the world record with a leap of 6.76m.

Aged 24 at the time, she also won silver in the inaugural women's pentathlon, and bronze as a member of the 4x100m relay team in Japan, becoming the first British woman to win gold, silver and bronze at a single Olympics.

No British woman has held the gold title since.

In a post on X, UK Athletics said: "UK Athletics is saddened to hear of the death of Olympic, European and Commonwealth champion Mary Rand, at the age of 86.

"She became the first British woman to win three medals at a single Olympic Games at Tokyo 1964 and blazed a trail for women in the sport."

Rand also won long jump gold at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica.

But she was forced to retire at the young age of 28 due to injury, and did not get to defend her Olympic title.

Rand first married British rower Sydney, with whom she had a daughter, before marrying American Bill Toomey, the 1968 Olympic decathlon champion, and moving to the US.

They were together for 22 years, and had two daughters.

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Rand later married John Reese and continued living in the US, with a home in California and then moving to Nevada.

She was named the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in 1964, and also made an MBE in the 1965 New Year Honours.

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