{{short description|British middle-distance runner}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use British English|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Pat Cropper<br>née Lowe | image = | caption = | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|9|15|df=yes}} | birth_place = Leicester, England | death_date = | death_place = | height =165 cm | weight =52 kg | sport = Middle-distance running | event = 800 metres | club = Birchfield Harriers | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's athletics}} {{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships}} {{MedalGold|1969 Athens|4 × 400 metres relay}} {{MedalSilver|1971 Helsinki|800 metres}} {{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }} {{MedalCompetition|British Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalSilver| 1970 Edinburgh | 800 metres}} }}
'''Patricia Barbara Cropper''', née '''Lowe''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (born 15 September 1943) is a British retired middle-distance runner. She competed in the 800 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics.<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lo/pat-lowe-cropper-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418041519/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lo/pat-lowe-cropper-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Pat Lowe-Cropper Olympic Results |accessdate=19 October 2017}}</ref> She was appointed MBE in the 1974 Birthday Honours.
== Biography == Lowe who raced for Birchfield Harriers represented England at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/kingston-1966/athletes|title=1966 Athletes|publisher=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/kingston-1966|title=Kingston, Jamaica, 1966 Team|publisher=Team England}}</ref>
At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, she represented Great Britain in the 800 metres event.<ref name=Oly>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68713 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=5 March 2025}}</ref>
Lowe became the national 800 metres 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> The following year Lowe won a silver medal in the 800 metres at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/40871|title=Athletes and results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=2 August 2019|archive-date=31 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231194129/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/40871|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In July 1971, Lowe finished third Canadian Abby Hoffman at the 1971 WAAA Championships and then later that year Lowe married fellow Birchfield Harriers athlete Dave Cropper and competed under her married name thereafter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=247446987:8036&d=bmd_1740370513 |title=Marriages |website=Free BMD |access-date=5 March 2025 }}</ref>
Cropper finished second behind Mary Tracey at the 1972 WAAA Championships<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> before competing in her second Olympics Games, this time representing Great Britain in Munich.<ref name=Oly/>
Cropper appeared at a third consecutive Commonwealth Games at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/christchurch-1974|title=1974 Games|website=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/christchurch-1974/athletes|title=Athletes, 1974 England team|website=Team England}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowe-Cropper, Pat}} Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics Category:English women middle-distance runners Category:British women middle-distance runners Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:Athletes from Leicester Category:Medallists at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Category:20th-century English sportswomen Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics