Ethel Catherwood
Ethel Catherwood in 1928
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| Personal information | ||||||||||
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| Born | April 28, 1908 Hannah, North Dakota, United States |
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| Died | September 26, 1987 (aged 79) Grass Valley, California, United States |
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| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||
| Weight | 58 kg (128 lb) | |||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||
| Event(s) | High jump, javelin throw | |||||||||
| Club | Parkdale Ladies' Athletic Club, Toronto | |||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | HJ – 1.60 m (1928) JT – 36.17 m (1927) |
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Medal record
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Ethel Hannah Catherwood (April 28, 1908 – September 26, 1987) was a Canadian athlete.
Born in Hannah, North Dakota, United States, Ethel Catherwood was raised and educated in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, where she excelled at baseball, basketball and track and field athletics. In 1926, as a student at Bedford Road Collegiate, she equalled a Canadian record for high jump at the Saskatoon city track and field championships. On Labour Day of the same year, she broke the British-held high jump world record. In 1928, she became a member of the Matchless Six, a group of 6 Canadian women who competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, the first Olympics to allow female competitors in athletics. Catherwood took home a gold medal in high jump, clearing 1.59 metres (5.2 ft). There was considerable focus on her physical attributes during the Games earning her the nickname "Saskatoon Lily". As well, a New York Times correspondent dubbed her the "prettiest girl athlete" at the 1928 Olympics. However, much more than a pretty face Ethel Catherwood took home the world's first ever gold medal awarded to a female high jumper and holds the title as the only Canadian female athlete to have won an individual gold medal in an Olympic track and field event.
Catherwood also held national titles in javelin throw, but this event became Olympic only in 1932, whereas she retired from competitions a year earlier. Upon her return from the 1928 Olympics, Catherwood was offered a movie contract, but declined the offer. She took a business course, married, and moved to California.
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