Ruth Martin-Jones

{{short description|British long jumper, pentathlete and sprinter}} {{Use British English| date=May 2017}} {{Use dmy dates| date=May 2017}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Ruth Martin-Jones | image =  | image_size =  | alt = | caption = | nationality = British (Welsh) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|01|28|df=y}} | birth_place = Criccieth, Gwynedd, Wales | death_date = | death_place = | sport = Athletics | event = Long jumper, heptathlete | club = Birchfield Harriers | show-medals = y | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's Athletics}} {{MedalCountry|{{WAL}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalBronze|1974 Christchurch|Long jump}} }}

'''Ruth Martin-Jones''' (also known as '''Ruth Swinhoe''' and '''Ruth Howell''', born 28 January 1947)<ref name=Wales/> is a former long jumper and heptathlete.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/ruth-martin-jones-1.html |website=Sports Reference|title=Athlete profile |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418041744/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/ruth-martin-jones-1.html |archive-date=18 April 2020 }}</ref>

== Biography == Martin–Jones, from Oswestry, attended the University of Birmingham, taking a<ref>''Liverpool Daily Post'' Tuesday 17 June 1969, page 12</ref> French PhD.<ref>''Birmingham Daily Post'' Monday 25 May 1970, page 6</ref> By 1972 she was teaching in Beaconsfield.<ref>''Birmingham Daily Post'' Wednesday 7 June 1972, page 15</ref>

Martin–Jones competed at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. She finished third behind Sheila Sherwood in the long jump event and second behind Ann Wilson in the pentathlon at the 1972 WAAA Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002137/19720709/340/0038 |title=Women's AAA Champions |work=Sunday Mirror |date=9 July 1972 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 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=7 March 2025}}</ref>

She competed for Great Britain at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, finishing 28th in the long jump event. She was the first Welsh women to compete at the Olympic Games.<ref name=Wales/>

At the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, she won a bronze medal competing for Wales. Her jump was equal to silver medalist Brenda Eisler, but Eisler had a better second jump.<ref name=Wales>{{cite web| url= http://www.welshathletics.org/about-us/our-history/hall-of-fame/ruth-swinhoe-(previously-martin-jones-and-howell).aspx| title= Ruth Swinhoe (previously Martin-Jones and Howell)| publisher=Welsh Athletics| accessdate=7 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.athleticsweekly.com/commonwealth-games/commonwealth-games-womens-long-jump-6973| title= A history of the women's long jump at the Commonwealth Games| date=24 July 2014| accessdate=7 May 2017}}</ref> later that Summer she became the British long jump champion after winning the British WAAA Championships title at the 1974 WAAA Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=7 March 2025 }}</ref>

Martin-Jones married Raymond Howell in late 1975 and competed under her married name of Howell thereafter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=yOh0aGLwKzDepa8zl%2FdBRA&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=30 December 2025|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref> She attended her third Commonwealth Games at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, participating in the long jump and pentathlon events.<ref name=Wales/>

In 1978, Martin-Jones won the first heptathlon event in the world at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.<ref name=Wales/>

In 2016, Martin-Jones was inducted into the Welsh Athletics Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/14795430.malcolm-proud-to-join-top-names-in-hall-of-fame/|title=Malcolm proud to join top names in Hall of Fame| work=South Wales Argus| date=11 October 2016| accessdate=12 May 2021}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{World Athletics|14343371}} {{British Indoor Athletics Championships women's long jump champions}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin-Jones, Ruth}} Category:1947 births Martin-Jones Category:Alumni of the University of Birmingham Martin-Jones Category:Sportspeople from Oswestry Marin-Jones Martin-Jones Martin-Jones Martin-Jones Martin-Jones Martin-Jones Martin-Jones Martin-Jones Martin-Jones Martin-Jones Category:Medallists at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games Category:People from Criccieth Category:Competitors at the 1970 Summer Universiade Category:Welsh heptathletes Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics Category:Competitors at the 1967 Summer Universiade