Background
Smith was born in Birmingham, England.
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Phylis Smith
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In 1991, along with Lorraine Hanson, Linda Keough and Sally Gunnell she was a member of the United Kingdom 4 x 400 m relay quartet that finished fourth in the final of the World Championships in Tokyo, setting a United Kingdom national record that would stand for 16 years.
Career
However, it would be in the 400 metres that she would find international success. Smith"s individual breakthrough came at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, when she ran a lifetime best of 50.40 secs in her semi-final to move to second on the United Kingdom all-time list behind Kathy Cook and reach the Olympic final. In the final she placed eighth in 50.87.
Smith ran a fine first leg to put the United Kingdom in the lead.
The British 4x400 m relay squad narrowly missed a medal finishing fourth. At the she was fourth in the 400m final in 51.49, before winning a gold medal in the relay, after the disqualification of original winners, Australia.
The British squad were well in front at the first changeover, after another excellent first leg by Smith. Smith returned from injury to earn selection for her second Olympic Games in 1996.
In Atlanta, she reached the quarter-finals of the 400 metres.
Her last major championships was the 1997 World Indoors in Paris, where she reached the 400m semi-finals and finished sixth in the 4x400 m final in a new United Kingdom record. Earlier in the 1997 indoor season, she had broken the United Kingdom indoor record for 400 metres with 51.69 in Birmingham, to improve Sally Gunnell"s three-year-old mark of 51.72. Smith"s record would last for four years until Katharine Merry ran 50.53 in 2001.
As of 2015, Smith"s 50.40 best, ranks her 6th on the United Kingdom all-time list over 400 metres.
Achievements
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Born
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Nationality
United Kingdom