Judith Miriam Oakes (born 14 February 1958 in Lewisham, Greater London) is a female retired English shot putter, powerlifter, and weightlifter.
Athletics career Oakes represented Great Britain in the 1984 Summer Olympics, 1988 Summer Olympics, 1996 Summer Olympics and 2000 Summer Olympics.
Oakes competed in six consecutive Commonwealth Games from 1978 until 1998 and won a medal at every one of them. She represented England and won a bronze medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Four years later she represented England and won a gold medal, at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia. A further four years later she represented England and won a silver medal, at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. The fourth appearance and medal came in 1990 when she represented England and won another silver, at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. The fifth and sixth medals were gold medals at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria and, aged 40, at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
Her personal best put was 19.36 metres, achieved in August 1988 in Gateshead. This is still the British record.UK All-Time Lists: Women – Throws – GBR Athletics
Oakes was a British shot put champion in one form or another a remarkable 49 times. She won the main British WAAA Championships title 18 times (in 1979–1980, 1982–1988, 1990-1992, 1994-1998 and 2000).. the UK Athletics Championships title which was also recognised as a national championship, and ran simultaneously, 11 times (1978, 1982, 1984-1989, 1991-1992 and 1997) and the British Indoor Athletics Championships title, also 18 times (1977-1980, 1982. 1984-1988, 1990-1991 and 1995-2000).
Powerlifting career She was World Champion in Powerlifting three times, and European Champion eight times. Her last British Record (a Squat of 202½kg in the 75 kg bodyweight class set in February 1989) lasted until June 2008, when Marie Thornton squatted 215 kg.British Powerlifting News – British Weight Lifters
In Weightlifting she was European Champion in 1989 and 1990.
Awards She was given an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1999.
Achievements in athletics Representing and 1978Commonwealth Games Edmonton, Canada 3rd16.14 m1979European Indoor Championships Vienna, Austria 3rd15.66 m1982Commonwealth Games Brisbane, Australia 1st17.92 m1983World Championships Helsinki, Finland12th17.52 m1984Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States4th18.14 m1985European Indoor Championships Piraeus, Greece6th17.83 m1986Commonwealth Games Edinburgh, United Kingdom 2nd18.75 mEuropean Championships Stuttgart, West Germany14th17.85 m1987European Indoor Championships Liévin, France6th18.14 mWorld Indoor Championships Indianapolis, United States9th17.85 mWorld Championships Rome, Italy15th (q)18.43 m1988Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea16th (q)18.34 m1990Commonwealth Games Auckland, New Zealand 2nd18.43 m1991World Championships Tokyo, Japan14th (q)17.81 m1994Commonwealth Games Victoria, Canada 1st18.16 m1995World Indoor Championships Barcelona, Spain8th17.77 mWorld ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden13th (q)17.87 m1996European Indoor Championships Stockholm, Sweden4th18.72 mOlympic Games Atlanta, United States11th18.34 m1997World Indoor Championships Paris, France10th17.51 mWorld Championships Athens, Greece14th (q)17.84 m1998European Indoor Championships Valencia, Spain6th18.42 mGoodwill GamesUniondale, United States6th18.12 mCommonwealth Games Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1st18.83 m2000Olympic Games Sydney, Australia13th (q)17.81 m
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