Margareta Simu (born 2 May 1953 in Västerås) is a Swedish former racewalking athlete. She competed three times at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup and was the winner in 1975 and bronze medallist in 1977. On her last appearance in 1979 she placed eighth.IAAF World Race Walking Cup Taicang 2014 Facts & Figures. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-04-16.
Simu broke world racewalking records several times. She set a 10 km walk world record of 51:01 minutes in 1972, finally improving on Stina Lindberg's near-30-year-old time. She bettered this to 49:04 minutes in 1976 and again to 48:53 minutes in 1978. Norwegian Thorill Gylder took that honour away from her in 1978 with a new best of 48:40 minutes.Ohio Racewalker August 2010. RaceWalk. Retrieved on 2016-04-16. Simu's time of 1:47:10 hours, set in 1973, was a 20 km walk world record for nearly four years.Weltrekorde 20 km Gehen Frauen . Rekorde Im Sport. Retrieved on 2016-04-16. She also broke the world indoor record for the 3000 m on four occasions (between 1974 and 1978).istanbul-2012-statistics-book-part-5-of-5.pdf. IAAF (2012), pg. 321. Retrieved on 2016-04-16.
Simu was a three-time medallist at the Nordic Race Walking Championships, wither her best result being a gold medal in 1975.Nordic Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-04-16. She was twice champion at the short-lived Nordic Indoor Race Walking Championships, topping the podium in the 3000 m walk in 1974 and 1978, as well as taking bronze behind Siv Gustafsson and Elisabeth Olsson in 1976.Nordic Indoor Race Walking Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-04-16. She was a seven-time Swedish national champion in racewalking, at distances from 3000 m to 10 km.Swedish Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-04-16.
International competitions 1971Nordic Race Walking ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden2nd5000 m walk26:151973Nordic Race Walking ChampionshipsFredrikstad, Norway3rd5000 m walk25:521974Nordic Indoor Race Walking ChampionshipsTurku, Finland1st3000 m walk14:51.71975Nordic Race Walking ChampionshipsOdense, Denmark1st5 km walk23:43IAAF World Race Walking CupGrand-Quevilly, France1st5 km walk23:401976Nordic Indoor Race Walking ChampionshipsÖstersund, Sweden3rd3000 m walk14:481977IAAF World Race Walking CupMilton Keynes, United Kingdom3rd5 km walk24:121978Nordic Indoor Race Walking ChampionshipsTurku, Finland1st3000 m walk13:46.11979IAAF World Race Walking CupEschborn, West Germany8th5 km walk23:48
National titles Swedish Athletics Championships 3000 m walk: 1971, 1975 5000 m walk: 1974, 1975, 1976 10 km walk: 1974, 1975
References