You Are Here > SR/Olympics > Athletes > Venissa Head

News: Sports-Reference.com Widgets - Our Stats, Your Site »post

Venissa Head

Full name: Venissa Anne Head
Gender: Female
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
Weight: 192 lbs (87 kg)
Born: September 1, 1956 in Merthyr Tydfil, Merthyr Tydfil, Great Britain
Affiliations: Cardiff AAC, Cardiff (GBR)
Country: GBR Great Britain
Sport: Athletics

Biography

Venissa Head won her the Welsh title in the shot put at the age of fifteen in 1974; this was the first of her 25 Welsh titles at the shot and discus.

She would also add the UK title but was thwarted in her attempts to win a Women's AAA championship. In 1981 she broke the British shot put record and later became the first Briton to throw the shot over 19 metres in an indoor meeting. Her personal outdoor best was 18.93 m. A finalist in both the 1983 World Championship and 1986 European her only major international medal came in 1986 when she finished second behind Australian Gael Mulhall.

Her only appearance at the Olympic Games came in 1984 in Los Angeles where she finished 6th in the shot and 7th in the discus though competition in both events was severely depleted by the Eastern Bloc boycott. Despite being top ranked Briton in the shot in 1988 she was not selected for Seoul and Head retired shortly afterwards due to persistent hand and wrist problems. Her twin sister Vivienne was also Welsh champion in the shot.

Personal Bests: SP – 19.06i (1984); DT – 64.68 (1983).

Results

Games Age City Sport Event Team NOC Rank Medal
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Women's Shot Put Great Britain GBR 6
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Women's Discus Throw Great Britain GBR 7

Women's Shot Put

Event History
Games Age City Sport Country Phase Unit Rank D BMD
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round 6 17.90
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round One NP foul
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Two 5 17.90 17.90
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Three 5 foul 17.90
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Four 6 17.37 17.90
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Five 6 15.59 17.90
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Six NP 16.40

Women's Discus Throw

Event History
Games Age City Sport Country Phase Unit Rank D BMD
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round 7 58.18
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round One NP foul
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Two 7 55.58 55.58
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Three 6 58.18 58.18
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Four 7 foul 58.18
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Five 7 55.84 58.18
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Final Round Round Six NP 55.88
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Qualifying Round 8 QU 55.24
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Qualifying Round Group A 6 55.24
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Qualifying Round Group A Round One 6 48.92
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Qualifying Round Group A Round Two 6 55.24 55.24
1984 Summer 27 Los Angeles Athletics Great Britain Qualifying Round Group A Round Three NP pass