{{Short description|English sprinter (born 1965)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use British English|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Pat Beckford | birth_name = | image = | caption = | nationality = British (English) | sport = Athletics | event = 200m, 400m | club = Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|8|6|df=yes}} | birth_place = Wolverhampton, England | death_date = | death_place = | height =178 cm | weight =70 kg | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's athletics}} {{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships}} {{MedalBronze|1990 Split|4×400 m}} }}
'''Patricia J. Beckford''' (born 6 August 1965) is an English former sprinter. She represented Great Britain in the women's 400 metres at the 1988 Seoul Olympics,<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/pat-beckford-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418040937/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/pat-beckford-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Pat Beckford Olympic Results |accessdate=4 August 2017}}</ref> and won a bronze medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the 1990 European Championships.
== Biography == Born in Wolverhampton, Beckford was a member of the Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club. She finished third behind Kathy Cook and Georgina Oladapo in the 200 metres at the 1985 WAAA Championships in 23.74 secs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004941/19850728/615/0031 |title=Athletics |work=Sunday Express |date=28 July 1985 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=20 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |work=GBR Athletics |title=AAA Championships (Women) |accessdate=1 April 2018}}</ref>
At the 1988 AAA Championships and Olympic trials, Beckford finished second behind Linda Keough in the 400 metres in 52.49 ses, to earn Olympic selection.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001723/19880807/050/0050 |title=Trials Results |work=Sunday Sun (Newcastle) |date=7 August 1988 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=27 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003126/19880808/387/0029 |title=Alexander Results |work=Wolverhampton Express and Star |date=8 August 1988 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=27 March 2025}}</ref> She also finished third in the 200 metres in 23.77, behind Simmone Jacobs (23.37) and Louise Stuart (23.75).<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=20 March 2025}}</ref> A week later on 14 August 1988, she achieved her lifetime best for the 400 meters with 52.26 secs at the International vs Hungary in Gateshead. She then ran her 200 metres best of 23.58 at the McVities Challenge on 28 August 1988 in London (Crystal Palace).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=40595 |work=Power of 10 |title=Pat Beckford |accessdate=3 April 2018}}</ref> At the Seoul Olympic Games in September, she was eliminated in the 400 metres heats, running a disappointing 54.39 due to an injury.
Beckford finished third in the 400 metres at the 1990 UK Championships,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/uk.htm |work=GBR Athletics |title=UK Championships |accessdate=1 April 2018}}</ref> and later earned relay selection for the European Championships in Split. The British quartet of Angela Piggford, Jenny Stoute, Beckford and Linda Keough ran 3:28.73 in the heats, to qualify for the final as the fifth fastest. With Sally Gunnell replacing Piggford, they broke the six-year-old British record with 3:24.78 in the final, to win the bronze medal, with Beckford running a 51.9 split.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/uk/wg99.htm |work=GBR Athletics |title=UK All-Time lists Heptathlion and Relays |accessdate=3 April 2018}}</ref>
==International competitions== {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |- !colspan=6|Representing {{GBR2}} |- |1988 |Olympic Games |Seoul, South Korea |32nd (h) |400 m |54.39 |- |1990 |European Championships |Split, Yugoslavia |bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |4 × 400 m |3:28.78 |- !colspan=6|<small>''' (h) Indicates overall position in qualifying heats'''</small> |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckford, Pat}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:British women sprinters Category:English women sprinters Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes from Wolverhampton Category:European Athletics Championships medalists Category:Olympic women sprinters Category:20th-century English sportswomen