Shirley Strickland (1925-)

(de la Hunty)

Shirley won more Olympic track and field medals than any other woman. 

Early Life

In the 1948 London Games Shirley competed in four events. She won bronze in the 100m and 80m hurdles, was placed fourth in the 200m and won a silver medal as part of the Australian 4x100m relay team. Shirley had become known as one of the finest athletes in the world.
Shirley represented Australia at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland where she won three Gold and two silver medals.  She was one of  the stars of the 1952 Olympic team winning Gold medals and setting world records. She ran 11.0 in her heat, a wind-assisted 10.8 in the semi-final and 10.9 to win the final of the hurdles. 

Career Achievements

Shirley won the 80m  hurdles at the Melbourne Olympics, breaking her Olympic record. She was part of the relay team which broke the world record in a 44.5 seconds. Shirley was the first female athlete in Olympic history to win the same event at successive Olympics. She won more Olympic track and field events than any other Australian woman: three gold, one silver and three bronze.
 

Life After Athletics

Shirley has coached many young athletes, including Raelene Boyle. She was the manager of the Australian Olympic teams at the Mexico and Montreal Olympics.

She was inducted into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

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