Moira Walls

{{short description|British high jumper, long jumper and pentathlete}} {{Use British English| date=July 2017}} {{Use dmy dates| date=July 2017}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Moira Maguire<br>née Walls | image =  | image_size =  | alt = | caption = | nationality = British (Scottish) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|05|04|df=y}} | birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland | death_date = | death_place = | sport = Athletics | event = High jumper, long jumper, pentathlete | club = Edinburgh Southern Harriers | medaltemplates= {{MedalCountry|{{SCO}}}} {{MedalSport | Women's Athletics}} {{Medal|Comp|British Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalBronze|1970 Edinburgh|Long jump}} }}

'''Moira Lindsay Maguire''' {{née}} '''Walls''' (born 4 May 1952), is a Scottish former high jumper, long jumper and pentathlete. She won a bronze medal in the high jump at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

== Biography == Walls, born in Glasgow, Scotland,<ref name=Guardian69>{{cite news| url= http://newspapers.com/clip/67161610/moira-walls-1969/| title= Triumph for Moira| work=The Guardian| via=Newspapers.com| date=9 October 1969| page=20| access-date=8 January 2021}}</ref> was a member of Edinburgh Southern Harriers Athletics Club.<ref name=Guardian77>{{cite news| url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67161923/athletics-1977/| title=Thompson's Day| work=The Guardian| via=Newspapers.com| date=8 August 1977| page=16| access-date=8 January 2021}}</ref>

Walls became the British pentathlon champion after winning the British WAAA Championships title at the 1969 WAAA Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002137/19690720/327/0035 |title=Hyman Back In Glory |work=Sunday Mirror |date=20 July 1969 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 March 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=5 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=5 March 2025 }}</ref> She also became Scottish national champion in the hurdles, high jump and long jump,<ref name=Herald/> and also won a long jump event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, with a best jump of {{convert|20|ft|10.5|in|m|sigfig=3}}.<ref name=Guardian69/> As a result of her success, Walls was a winner of the 1969 BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year award, along with Bernard Gallacher.<ref name=Herald/>

Walls competed for Scotland in the high jump event at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, winning the bronze medal, and is the only Scottish high jumper to have won a Commonwealth Games medal.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.scotsman.com/sport/athletics/commonwealth-games-scotland-s-high-jumpers-primed-1-2968764| title= Commonwealth Games: Scotland’s high jumpers primed| last=Forsyth| first=Paul| work=The Scotsman| date=16 June 2013| access-date=7 July 2017}}</ref><ref name=Herald>{{cite news| url= http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/13061712.There_s_more_to_rowing_than_simply_pulling_on_an_oar__says_Olympian_elect_Maguire/| title= There's more to rowing than simply pulling on an oar, says Olympian elect Maguire| last=Gillon| first=Doug| work=The Herald| date=15 June 2012| access-date=7 July 2017}}</ref> In 1970, she had the best performance by a European in a long jump competition, after jumping {{convert|21|ft|3|in|m}}. She was also ranked number two in Europe for pentathlon, and in the top six in Europe for the high jump.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67161549/moira-walls-1970/| title= Marilyn picks Jamaica| work=The Guardian| via=Newspapers.com| date=19 August 1970| page=14| access-date=8 January 2021}}</ref>

Walls competed in the high jump at the 1976 Olympics Games in Montreal, finishing 31st.<ref name=SR>{{cite web| url= https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/moira-walls-1.html| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200417190947/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/moira-walls-1.html| url-status= dead| archive-date= 17 April 2020| title= Moira Walls| publisher=Sports Reference| access-date=7 July 2017}}</ref> In 1977, Walls broke the Scottish national high jump record, after clearing a height of {{convert|1.83|m|ftin}}. She was the first Scottish woman to clear a height of over 6 foot.<ref name=Guardian77/>

== Family == Her daughter Lindsey Maguire competed for Great Britain in rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.<ref name=Herald/>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417190947/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/moira-walls-1.html Sports Reference]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walls, Moira}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:Athletes from Glasgow Category:Scottish women high jumpers Category:British women high jumpers Category:Scottish women long jumpers Category:British women long jumpers Category:British pentathletes Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Scotland Category:Medallists at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Category:20th-century Scottish sportswomen Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics