V 7 N. 55 Betty Cuthbert , R.I.P.

Betty Cuthbert

Betty Cuthbert, four time Olympic gold medalist for Australia passed away today.  In 1956 before her home fans in Melbourne she won the 100, 200, and ran on the victorious 4x100 relay.  She did not participate in 1960 due to injury, but in 1964, she won the first 400 for women.

She was a victim of Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 79.

Following is a link to The Guardian's piece about her life.

Betty Cuthbert

Following information is from sports reference.com

Full name: Elizabeth Alyse "Betty" Cuthbert
Gender: Female
Height: 5-6.5 (169 cm)
Weight: 126 lbs (57 kg)
Born: April 20, 1938 (Age 79.108, YY.DDD) in Merrylands, New South Wales, Australia
Affiliations: Western Suburbs AAC, Sydney (AUS)
Country:  Australia
Sport: Athletics

Medals: 4 Gold (4 Total)

Biography

Australian Elizabeth "Betty" Cuthbert won two gold medals in the individual track sprints (100 and 200 metres) and  a third gold in the 400 metre relay in at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The 18-year-old was instantly acclaimed as a  national heroine by the home Australian crowd, and was nicknamed the "Golden Girl". Injury prevented her from  doing well at the 1960 Games but she came back to win the 400 metres in 1964 at Tokyo and claim her fourth Olympic gold medal, which she regarded as her greatest win. She is the only Olympic sprinter, man or woman, to have  won gold medals in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 400 metres. At the British Empire and Commonwealth Games she won a gold medal in the 4×110 yards relay (with [Joyce Bennett] and the non-Olympians Brenda Cox and Glenys  Beasley) in 1962 and silver medals in the 220 yards as well as in the 4×110 yards relay (with [Marlene Mathews-Willard] and the non-Olympians Kay Johnson and Wendy Hayes) in 1958. In the 1958 British Empire and  Commonwealth Games 100 yards Cuthbert finished fourth and in the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 220 yards she finished fifth, but in the 100 yards she was eliminated in the semi-finals. She set or equalled 18 world records between 1956 and 1964 over 60 metres, 100 yards, 220 yards, 400 metres, and in the 4×100 and 4×220 relays. In 1964 she was awarded the prestigious Helms Award for her contributions to sport. Sadly for such a  fine athlete, she later was afflicted with multiple sclerosis, having first been diagnosed with that disease in 1979. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, aided by a wheelchair, she was one of several Australian women who carried the Olympic Flag at the Opening Ceremony. Personal Bests: 100 – 11.4 (1956); 200 – 23.1y (1960); 400 – 52.01 (1964).

Results

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Games	Age	City	Sport	Event	Team	NOC	Rank	Medal
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Women's 100 metres	Australia	AUS	1	Gold
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Women's 200 metres	Australia	AUS	1	Gold	WR
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Women's 4 × 100 metres Relay	Australia	AUS	1	Gold	WR
1960 Summer	22	Roma	Athletics	Women's 100 metres	Australia	AUS	4 h4 r2/4
1964 Summer	26	Tokyo	Athletics	Women's 400 metres	Australia	AUS	1	Gold	OR

Women's 100 metres

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Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit	Rank		T(H)	T(A)	L
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Australia	Final		1		11.5	11.82	4
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Australia	Semi-Finals	Heat One	2	QU	12.0	12.08
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Australia	Round One	Heat Three	1	QU/OR	11.4	11.72
1960 Summer	22	Roma	Athletics	Australia	Quarter-Finals	Heat Four	4		12.0	12.18
1960 Summer	22	Roma	Athletics	Australia	Round One	Heat Four	2	QU	12.1	12.21

Women's 200 metres

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Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit	Rank		T(H)	T(A)	L
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Australia	Final		1	WR	23.4	23.55	5
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Australia	Semi-Finals	Heat One	1	QU	23.6	23.75
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Australia	Round One	Heat One	1	QU	23.5	23.60

Women's 400 metres

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Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit	Rank		T(H)	T(A)	L
1964 Summer	26	Tokyo	Athletics	Australia	Final		1	OR	52.0	52.01	2
1964 Summer	26	Tokyo	Athletics	Australia	Semi-Finals	Heat One	2	QU	53.8
1964 Summer	26	Tokyo	Athletics	Australia	Round One	Heat One	3	QU	56.0

Women's 4 × 100 metres Relay

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Games	Age	City	Sport	Team	NOC	Phase	Unit	Rank		T(H)	T(A)	L
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Australia	AUS	Final		1	WR	44.5	44.65	3
1956 Summer	18	Melbourne	Athletics	Australia	AUS	Round One	Heat One	1	QU/WR	44.9	45.00