Liz Parsons
Welsh athlete
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Elizabeth Parsons married name Liz Johns (1945 – July 2020) was a track and field athlete from Wales, who competed at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (now Commonwealth Games).
Biography
Parsons was a member of the Roath Harriers in Cardiff and aged 15 she won the 1960 Welsh title.[2]
At the 1966 Welsh championships, she broke the Welsh 100 yards record, setting a time of 10.7sec in the semi final before winning the final and also set a championship record in winning the 220 yards.[3] Coached by Ron Pickering,[4] she defeated her rival Liz Gill in the warm-up Invitation race for the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.[5]
She represented the 1966 Welsh team[6] at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, participating in three events;[7] the 100 yards, the 220 yards and the 4 × 110 yards relay, with Gloria Dourass, Thelwyn Appleby and Liz Gill.
Shortly after the Games, Parsons married Maurice Johns and participated under her married name thereafter.[8]
In 1968, when Roath Harriers merged with Birchgrove Harriers to become Cardiff AAC, she was the first captain of the women's team.[2]
After retiring from competitive athletics she became a coach and an official for Cardiff AAC. She died in July 2020 aged 76.[9]