Caroline Baird

Caroline Baird
MBE
Personal information
Birth name Caroline Innes
Born (1974-03-14) 14 March 1974
Cupar, Fife
Sport
Country  United Kingdom
Sport Track and field
Event(s) Sprints
Coached by John Oulton
Medal record
Paralympic Games[1]
1992 Barcelona Women's 100 m C5-6
1996 Atlanta Women's 100 m T34-35
2000 Sydney Women's 200 m T36
2000 Sydney Women's 400 m T36
2000 Sydney Women's 100 m T36
World Championships[2]
1998 Birmingham Women's 200 m
1998 Birmingham Women's 400 m
1990 Assen Women's 100 m
1990 Assen Women's 200 m
1994 Berlin Women's 100 m
1994 Berlin Women's 200 m

Caroline Baird MBE (née Innes, born 14 March 1974) is a former athlete who represented Great Britain at three Paralympic Games. During her career she was recognised as the greatest sprinter in her class, winning four Paralympic gold medals along with two World Championships titles.

Personal life

Baird was born in Cupar, Fife on 14 March 1974 and graduated from Dundee University.[2][3] She has cerebral palsy and, after a highly successful career in athletics, retired from international sport to spend time with husband John and raise a family.[2][4] The couple had two daughters, Christie and Connie.[2] Baird was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours in 2000/2001.[5]

Sporting career

Baird was a member of the Cupar and District Swimming Club and represented Scotland at the British Swimming Championships. She was encouraged to take up athletics and travelled to the 1989 World Games in Miami as a member of the Scottish Youth Team. Her potential was quickly recognised.[6] The following year she won silver in both the 100m and 200m races at the World Championships in Assen.[2]

Competing under her maiden name of Innes she attended her first Paralympic Games in 1992.[1][3] Though she missed out on a place in the 200m finals she won gold in the 100m.[1][3][7] She then competed in the World Championships in Berlin in 1994, winning bronze in both the 100m and 200m.

At the 1996 Games in Atlanta Baird retained her 100m gold and though this time she secured a place in the 200m finals she was unable to finish in a medal-winning position.[1][3][8] She achieved her greatest World Championship successes in Birmingham in 1998, winning gold in the 200m and 400m events.[2]

Her greatest Paralympic results came two years later at the Games in Sydney. She won silver in the 100m and triumphed in the longer sprint distances, achieving gold medals in both the 200m and 400m events.[1][3] Baird's time of 1 minute 16.65 seconds was a new world record, beating the previous time by nearly six seconds.[5]

Baird is recognised as having been one of the leading sprinters in her class and was awarded the Young Disabled Sportswoman of the Year award in 1993.[3][4] Though she is retired from international competition she still trains with coach John Oulton.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Athlete Search Results". British Paralympic Association. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Philip, Robert (1 September 2011). Scottish Sporting Legends. Random House. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Caroline Baird (née Innes)". British Paralympic Association. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Six British Paralympic Athletes". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Paralympians honoured". BBC News. 30 December 2000. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "Athlete Profiles – Caroline Baird MBE". Scottish Disability Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  7. ↑ "Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games – Athletics – Women's 200 m C7-8". British Paralympic Association. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games – Athletics – Women's 200 m T34-37". British Paralympic Association. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
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