Zola Budd, athlete
AT THE 1984 OLYMPICS in Los Angeles, a shy teenage girl from South Africa ran into the history books – barefoot. She also ran headlong into a political storm, being unwillingly held up as a symbol of apartheid, and being unfairly blamed for knocking her American rival Mary Decker out of the Olympic 3,000m race.
Decker was America’s sweetheart, the world champion – Budd was the wild card from South Africa who had taken UK citizenship so she could compete in the Olympics. Budd was in the lead when Decker’s thigh came into contact with Budd’s bare foot. Then Decker’s foot clipped Budd’s thigh. On the third contact, Decker fell and was out of the race. Budd carried on to a chorus of boos, but as the boos got louder she slowed down and finished seventh.
Zola Budd grew up on her parents’ farm in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and began running at an early age with her older sister Jenny. After Jenny died of cancer at the age of 25, running became more of an obsession for Budd, and she began training hard and competing in local track meets. While still in secondary school, she won several junior and national titles, and at 17 she broke the women’s 5,000m world record. Her achievement wasn’t officially recognised, however, because South Africa was ostracised by the sporting world because of its apartheid policies.
But the international media had begun to take notice of this skinny teenager who was showing world-class form. One publication, The Daily Mail, took a particular interest in Budd, suggesting to her father Frank that she get around the boycott by applying for UK citizenship on the basis that her grandfather was British. Her citizenship application was fast-tracked, and Budd moved to the UK.
Britain had found its new champion, and when she qualified for the 1984 Olympics, few doubted that she’d return with the gold. Instead, she returned in disgrace, and although the International Amateur Athletics Federation found that she wasn’t responsible for the collision, and Decker later exonerated her from blame, it took her years to get past the public perception of her as the woman who tripped up the champ.
Back in South Africa, her speed earned her near-legendary status. A song about her became a hit single, and township taxis became known as Zola Budds. She continued to compete for the UK, becoming the world cross-country champion, and officially breaking the women’s 5,000m world record. But, following a series of defeats and a leg injury, she failed to qualify for the 1988 Olympics. She returned to South Africa and married a local businessman, Michael Pieterse, in 1989.
With the fall of apartheid, Budd was free to compete for South Africa, and she ran in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. But as her career wound down, she put her time and energy into bringing up her three children. The family moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on a temporary visa, which has recently been extended. Zola competes in local events and marathons, coaches young athletes, and watches her children winning races.
