Shirley Gordon Olafsson (born Shirley Gordon;[1] 10 April 1927 – 23 November 2019) was a Canadian athlete.[2] She competed in the women's high jump at the 1948 Summer Olympics tying for 11th place.[3][4]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Born | 10 April 1927 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died | 23 November 2019 (aged 92) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | High jump |
Gordon was born with a deformed left foot. She walked with a limp and used crutches until she was 13. Unable to compete in team sports, she taught herself the high jump. She joined a track club after a friend who was invited insisted that they admit Shirley as well.[4] She married Herbert Olafsson, who was a member of the Canadian National Basketball team.[4]
References
edit- ^ Beck, Jason (14 October 2011). "Olympian with 'turned foot' made history". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ Richmond remembers acclaimed athlete Shirley Olafsson
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Shirley Gordon Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ a b c Hawthorn, Tom (30 April 2019). "Widow, 84, didn't let disability stop her from reaching Olympics". Retrieved 11 May 2019.
External links
edit- Shirley Gordon at Olympedia
- Shirley Gordon at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)
- Shirley Olaffson on the BC Sports Hall of Fame
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