South African · Bloemfontein, South Africa · Born 26 May 1966Zola Budd is a South African distance runner famous for competing barefoot and for a controversial collision with American star Mary Decker at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Zola Budd broke the women's 5,000m world record at 17 while running barefoot, but the collision that sent Mary Decker crashing to the track in the 1984 Olympic final — a moment replayed on television for decades — overshadowed two World Cross Country titles and an official world record the following year.. Because South Africa was banned from international competition under the sporting boycott of apartheid, her record could not be officially ratified, prompting a British tabloid newspaper to help arrange British citizenship for her through a grandfather's ancestry, making her eligible to compete for Great Britain. Budd's selection for the British team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics proved highly controversial, and the anticipated showdown in the 3,000m final against American favourite and world record holder Mary Decker ended in infamy: with Budd running barefoot at the front of the field, the two runners collided just past the halfway mark, sending Decker crashing to the track in tears and out of the race, while a jeered Budd finished seventh amid a hostile crowd reaction. Budd rebounded to win the World Cross Country Championships in both 1985 and 1986, and officially broke the 5,000m world record for Great Britain in 1985, a mark of 14:48.07. She withdrew from the 1988 Seoul Olympics under threat of a ban after attending a track meet in South Africa, and returned to represent her native country at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, though she failed to reach the 3,000m final. She later moved to the United States, competed in marathons and ultramarathons under her married name Budd-Pieterse, and eventually returned to South Africa.
Competing barefoot and a controversial collision with Mary Decker at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
How They Played
Barefoot distance runner known for a light, economical stride and strong cross-country ability
Lasting Impact
One of the most talked-about and controversial figures in Olympic history, whose career became entangled with the politics of apartheid-era sports boycotts
Career Honours
- 2x World Cross Country Champion (1985, 1986)
- World record, 5000m (1985, competing for Great Britain)
- British mile record holder for 38 years
- 4x Olympian (1984 for Great Britain, 1992 for South Africa)
South African Athletes