South Yorkshire Times, November 2, 1968

Val Tells Her Own Story of Mexico

Looking tired but very fit, Thurnscoe’s Olympic sprinter Valerie Peat arrived at her home in Clayton Lane on Tuesday evening after a strenuous trip from Mexico

She did not bring with her the medals which we had all hoped for, hut she returned with the knowledge that the experience which she gained in Mexico will be invaluable to her in the future.

Speaking about the torrential rainstorm which broke over the Olympic Stadium before the women’s 100 metres semi-final, Valerie told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter: “I found it a bit disheartening and I did not expect the race to be run in such atrocious conditions. In fact we still did not know whether it would be run less than an hour before the scheduled start.”

That “Achilles”

The “tender Achilles” which kept Valerie out of the 200 metres heat and which became known in Mexico as the “tartan tantrum,” has Olympic   now cleared up.

Valerie explained*. “It started giving trouble before the 100 metres heats, but it went off before the race. Unfortunately it will return and if I had run in the 200 metres permanent damage could have occurred,”

She was in fact advised not to run just an hour before the race.

Valerie described her trip as ‘a great experience” and she was full of praise for both the athletes in the Olympic village and the local peop.le. All of whom she said were extremely friendly and helpfuL

Although obviously a little disappointed that she should have such bad luck at the very climax of her many hours of training. Yalerie is still as ambitious as ever and now has her sights set on the Miinich Olympics.

“Four years soon passes.” she said, “and after a month’s rest I shall be back in training again.”

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