Simon Shirley

{{short description|Australian decathlete}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2011}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Simon Shirley | image = | image_size =  | caption = | birth_name = | fullname = | nickname = | nationality = English/Australian | citizenship = | residence = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|8|3|df=yes}} | birth_place = Nottingham, Nottinghamshire | death_date = | death_place = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = | years_active = | website = | country = | sport = Athletics | event = | league = | league_type = | employer = | agent = | height = | weight = | universityteam = | club = | turnedpro = | partner = | former_partner = | coach = | coaching = | retired = | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = | olympics = | paralympics = | highestranking = | pb = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Athletics}} {{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }} {{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalBronze| 1994 Victoria | decathlon}} }}

'''Simon Shirley''' (born 3 August 1966 in Nottingham, United Kingdom) is a retired decathlete who competed for Australia at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, and for England at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.

==Junior career== Shirley was born in Nottingham but began school in New Zealand. He then moved to Brisbane where he attended Mount Gravatt State High School. In December 1983, he won the Boys Under 19 Multiple Event at the Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships in Adelaide with a total of 6708 points. In 1984, his application to attend the Australian Institute of Sport was rejected.<ref name=Blanchette>{{cite news |last=Blanchette|first=John|date=6 April 1988|title=Shirley wouldn't stay down under|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19880406&id=j1pWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6740,3105393&hl=en |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|access-date=25 June 2015}}</ref> The following day in Brisbane, he again won the Boys Under 19 Multiple Event at the Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships,<ref name=Blanchette/> this time scoring 7504 points.

==Senior career== Shirley first competed in the Decathlon at the Australian Track and Field Championships in Brisbane in April 1985. He scored 7321 points and finished fourth, 293 points behind Peter Hadfield. In March 1986 at the now separate Australian Multiple Events Championships in Hobart, Shirley won his first Australian decathlon title with a score of 7438 points.

Shirley was selected to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. He scored 7290 points and finished eighth in the decathlon, 1373 points behind gold medalist Daley Thompson.<ref name=CGF>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/38316|title=Athletes and results|website=Commonwealth Games Federation}}</ref>

In 1987, Shirley attended Washington State University in Pullman, Washington under coach John Chaplin.<ref name=Blanchette/> In February 1988, he returned to Australia to compete in two decathlons. At the first in Brisbane, he set a new personal best score of 7911 points. In March at the Australian Multiple Events Championships in Canberra, he wore his WSU jersey throughout the championships, which enraged some of his fellow countrymen,<ref name=Blanchette/> and regained his national decathlon title with a score of 7814 points.

Shirley's career personal best score of 8036 points was achieved at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, where he finished 15th behind gold medalist Christian Schenk of East Germany.

Shirley continued to compete for Australia throughout 1989 but thereafter stated his intention to return to his birth nation of England and compete for Great Britain. His first significant performance as a British athlete was in June 1993 when he won the decathlon at the Azusa Pacific University track meet with a score of 7944 points.

Shirley represented England at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. His score of 7980 points, his best as a British athlete and second best overall, won him a bronze medal behind winner Mike Smith of Canada. He almost withdrew after seven events, having injured an ankle three weeks earlier, but was persuaded to continue by the England team manager.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/victoria-1994/athletes|title=1994 Athletes|website=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3043/19/all|title=England team in 1994|website=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=19 October 2019|archive-date=7 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507165937/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3043/19/all|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=CGF/>

Shirley competed in five more competitive decathlons, twice failing to finish but twice scoring over 7800 points. At the 1995 Hypo-Bank combined events track meet in Götzis, Austria, Shirley wore a Superman costume while competing<ref>{{cite journal |date=1 June 2010 |title=KONRAD LERCH RETIRES Ends 35-year reign as Götzis meet director |journal=DECA Newsletter |volume=35 |issue=31 |publisher=The Decathlon Association|url=http://decathlonusa.typepad.com/files/volumexxxvnumber31june1-2010.pdf |access-date=25 June 2015}}</ref> and set a personal best of 14.59m in the shot put.

==Achievements== {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes|Result=yes|NotesOff=yes}} |- |1985 |Australian Track and Field Championships |Brisbane |4th |Decathlon |7321 |- |rowspan=2|1986 |Australian Multiple Event Championships |Hobart |1st |Decathlon |7438 |- |Commonwealth Games |Edinburgh, Scotland |8th |Decathlon |7290 |- |rowspan=2|1988 |Australian Multiple Event Championships |Canberra |1st |Decathlon |7814 |- |Summer Olympics |Seoul, South Korea |15th |Decathlon |8036 |- |1994 |Commonwealth Games |Victoria, Canada |bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd |Decathlon |7980 |}

==Notes== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071019120154/http://www.athletics.com.au/history/athletes/athlete678.htm Profile] * [http://digilander.libero.it/atletica2/Stagionali/WRL/1988/Dec.htm 1988 Year List]

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shirley, Simon}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Athletes from Nottingham Category:Australian decathletes Category:English men decathletes Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Category:Olympic athletes for Australia Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Australia Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England Category:Sportsmen from Queensland Category:Australian Institute of Sport track and field athletes Category:Medallists at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Category:Australian Athletics Championships winners Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics Category:Washington State Cougars men's track and field athletes