| Terri Cater | |
| Birth Name: | Terri Anne Wangman |
| Nationality: | Australian |
| Birth Date: | 1956 9, df=yes |
| Occupation: | Police officer |
| Sport: | Track and field |
Terri Anne Cater (; born 25 September 1956) is an Australian former sprinter and middle-distance runner. She was Australian women's 400 metres champion in 1981 and 800 metres champion in 1981 and 1982.[1]
Cater competed at two Commonwealth Games: the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand where she won a silver medal as part of the women's 4 × 400 metres relay team. Eight years later, she competed in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia where she placed 4th in the final of the women's 800 metres.[2]
In March 1976, Cater (as Terri Wangman) was selected for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, however there was subsequent controversy as she was selected over Barbara Wilson of Queensland, who ranked 4th in Australian athletic rankings compared to Wangman's 19th. Queensland MP Des Frawley raised the issue in the Queensland Parliament, asserting that the selection panel was "dominated by Victorians" whose "rotten, unprincipled actions" would deprive Australia of a certain medal win in Montreal.[3] Selector Paul Jenes responded that the selected athlete would have to cover both relay events (4 × 100 and 4 × 400), and that Wangman as the 400 metre specialist would have a better chance than Wilson.[4] In April, the men's and women's head selectors met with the Australian Olympic Federation justification committee, where they acknowledged they should have ranked the relay teams rather than individual runners, and Wilson was added to the Olympic team. This lowered Wangman's chances of competing by half, and she did not end up competing in Montreal.[5]
Outside of her athletics career, Cater was a police officer with Victoria Police.[6]