Shirley Strickland de la Hunty

full name:

Shirley Strickland de la Hunty

bio:

Shirley Strickland (de la Hunty) was the daughter of a professional sprinter. She was brought up in country Western Australia, and did not compete in sprinting events until high school. She had a great natural ability for sprinting, obviously inherited from her father. Combined with a healthy and active country lifestyle, she had a great basis for an international track and field athlete.

She won three gold medals in the 80m hurdles (1952, 1956) and the 4x100m relay (1956). She also won one silver and three bronze medals in three Olympic appearances (1948-1956). At the 1950 British Empire Games (now Commonwealth Games) she won three gold medals (hurdles and both relays) and two silvers (100 and 220 yards). During her career she set or equalled five individual world records, and was a member of five Australian relay teams which set or equalled world records.

also known as:

born:

18 July 1925
Guildford (Western Australia)

died:

17 February 2004, aged 78

sport:

Athletics

team / club:

Australia

event:

80m hurdles, 100m

personal bests:

achievements:

what you may not know:

Recently, her achievements in Australian Olympic history was recognised at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, where she was one of several female Australian Olympians who carried the Olympic torch into the stadium.