Gillian Cowley

Last updated

Gillian Cowley
Personal information
Born (1955-07-08) July 8, 1955 (age 67)
Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia
Medal record
Women's Field Hockey
Representing Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1980 Moscow Team Competition

Gillian Margaret "Gill" Cowley (born July 8, 1955 in Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia) is a former hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. [1]

Because of the boycott of the United States and other countries, only one team was available to compete in the Women's Hockey Tournament: the hosting USSR team[ failed verification ]. A late request was sent to the government of the African nation, which quickly assembled a team less than a week before the competition started. To everyone's surprise they won, claiming Zimbabwe's only medal in the 1980 Games. The team became known as the "Golden Girls." [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Summer Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Moscow, Russia

The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad and commonly known as Moscow 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russia. The games were the first to be staged in an Eastern Bloc country, as well as the first Olympic Games and only Summer Olympics to be held in a Slavic language-speaking country. They were also the only Summer Olympic Games to be held in a self-proclaimed communist country until the 2008 Summer Olympics held in China. These were the final Olympic Games under the IOC Presidency of Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin before he was succeeded by Juan Antonio Samaranch, a Spaniard, shortly afterwards.

The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union from 19 July to 3 August. A total of 5,179 athletes representing 80 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 203 events in 22 sports. They were the first Games to be staged in a communist nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimbabwe at the 1980 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Zimbabwe competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union capital, Moscow. The nation, previously known as Rhodesia, had competed at three Games under that name. 42 competitors, 23 men and 19 women, took part in 30 events in 10 sports.

Elizabeth Muriel Chase was a Zimbabwean field hockey player and member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Previously, she represented South Africa.

Alexandra "Sandra" Chick is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Patricia ("Trish") Joan Davies is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Sarah English is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. She was known as the premier hockey goalkeeper in Zimbabwe.

Ann Mary Gwynne Grant is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who captained the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Susan ("Sue") Huggett is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Patricia ("Pat") Jean McKillop, née Fraser, and now Buckle also simply known as Pat McKillop is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Brenda Phillips is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Christine Seraphine "Chris" Prinsloo is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Sonia Robertson is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Her identical twin sister Sandra Chick was one of her teammates in the capital of the Soviet Union, and both are the first twin gold medalists in hockey.

Anthea Dorine Stewart is a former field hockey player who was a member of the Zimbabwe national women's team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Previously, she had represented South Africa between 1963 and 1974.

Helen Volk is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Linda Margaret Watson is a former field hockey player from Zimbabwe, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Watson was also one of Zimbabwe's top hurdlers and sprinters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Ferrari</span> Canadian womens ice hockey player

Gillian Ferrari is a Canadian women's ice hockey player. She was inducted into the Brampton Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Her mother is from Wales and her father was born in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimbabwe women's national field hockey team at the 1980 Summer Olympics</span> Hockey team that won a gold medal

The 1980 Zimbabwe women's national field hockey team won the gold medal in women's field hockey at that year's Summer Olympics in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union. The squad of 16 women, all from Zimbabwe's white minority, was assembled less than a month before the Olympics began to help fill the gaps the American-led Olympic boycott created in the women's hockey competition. Zimbabwe's subsequent victory in the round-robin tournament with three wins and two draws was regarded as a huge upset, particularly considering the team's lack of preparation and experience; it has been called an "irresistible fairy story". Won at a time of great political transition in Zimbabwe, the gold medal was the country's first Olympic medal of any colour.

The women's field hockey tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics was the edition of the field hockey event at the Summer Olympic Games. It was held over a six-day period beginning on 25 July, and culminating on 31 July 1980. Games were played across two venues in Moscow, at the Minor Arena at Dynamo Stadium and Young Pioneers Stadium.

The following is the list of squads that took place in the women's field hockey tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

References

  1. Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles, eds. (2012). Sports around the world : history, culture, and practice. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 121. ISBN   9781598843019. OCLC   815668821.
  2. Bulla, Fatima (12 April 2015). "#1980SoFarSoGood: So Zimbabwe, so gold!…Golden Girl relives 1980 Moscow Olympics | The Sunday Mail". www.sundaymail.co.zw. Retrieved 27 November 2017.