1925 Great Britain–Czechoslovakia–Canada women's athletics match

1925 Great Britain–Czechoslovakia–Canada women's athletics match
Dates1 August 1925
Host cityLondon, United Kingdom
VenueStamford Bridge

Stamford Bridge pictured in 1909
LevelSenior
TypeOutdoor track and field
Events9[1]
Participation37 athletes from
3 nations
Records set1 World Record

The 1925 Great Britain–Czechoslovakia–Canada women's athletics match was an international women's athletics competition where a national team of female British athletes competed against a national team of Canadian and Czechosolvak athletes. It took place on 1 August 1925 at Stamford Bridge in London, the United Kingdom.

The match was won by Great Britain with 56 points, ahead of Czechoslovakia with 26 points and Canada with 23 points.[2] During the competition Vera Palmer broke the world record in the 250 metres with a time of 33.8 seconds.[3]

Background

The event took place in the early era of international women’s athletics with the first women’s international tournaments being held from 1921. The event was held year after the 1924 Women's Olympiad that took place at the same place.

During the same weekend another main international women's athletics match was held in Brussels, the 1925 Belgium–France women's athletics match.

Canadian selection

Canada had received an invitation to compete with all expenses being paid for 10 athletes and two "lady assistants". The selection of athletes became controversial. The Ontario branch of the AAU received the invitation and appointed Walter Knox as manager and coach. However, as the inviation stated "lady assistants" the national AAU stepped and ultimatly Alexandrine Gibb became the manager and coach. At that time she only had one week to organize the trials, that were held on 11 July at the University of Toronto, six days before the team would sail to the United Kingdom. There was critisizm from the press that women from outside Toronto would be unable to compete, which was true in the end. Froutytwo female competed in the trials. Two of the best Canadian sprinters Fanny Rosenfield and Rosa Grosse didn't join the national team due to other athletics meetings leading up to the Ontario athletics championships in August 1925. The ten selected athletes included five from Toronto, three from Hamilton, one from St. Catharines and one from Montreal.[1][4]

The athletes received a Canadian uniform supplied by the Canadian Olympic Committee. It consisting a white jerseys edged with scarlet, a red maple leaf on the breast and scarlet socks and knickers.[1]

The team was send-off by hundreds friends and supporters including chaperone Mrs. Gordon Finlay, sister in law of the president of the AAU. During the voyage the athletes trained each day on the ship according to Gibb by walking on the deck and in the well-equiped gymnasium. After arrival in Londen the athletes were also trained by British coaches Sam Mussabini and Frederick Webster who where both supporters of women's athletics.[1]

After arrival in Canada there was still a large debate about the selection that was made.[5]

On 10 September 1925 the athletes were invited by the AAU of C for a lunch at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.[5]

Entrants

The members of the teams were puslished on 1 August 1925. For Canada and Czechoslovakia it was not the final selection, as it was not yet determined who whould run the relay event and for Czechoslovakia it was also not yet known who would compete in the 100 yards hurdles.[6]

Names and events in italics differences between the entry and athletes competing in the events.

Opening

The opening of the event included a parade of nations, where the national delegations walked behind each other with the fanfare first.[7]

Competition

[3][8]

100 yards

Place Athlete Time Points Note
1  Rose Thompson (GBR) 11.8 sec
2  Nora Callebout (GBR)
3  Myrtle Cook (CAN)

High jump

Place Athlete Height Points Note
1  Phyllis Green (GBR) 1.475 m
2  Hilda Hatt (GBR) 1.45 m
3  Velma Springstead (CAN)
4
5  Grace Conacher (CAN) 4' 5" [9]

250 metres

Place Athlete Time Points Note
1  Vera Palmer (GBR) 33.8 sec WR
2  Kay Flannagan (CAN)
3  Violet Streater (GBR)

Shot put

Place Athlete Distance Points Note
1  Mary Weston (GBR) 60 ft 3.75 in
2  Ludmila Vencová (TCH)
3  Molly Trindell (CAN)
4  Marie Vidláková (TCH)

100 yards hurdles

Place Athlete Time Points Note
1  Hilda Hatt (GBR) 15.2 s
2  Peggy Batt (GBR)
3  Grace Conacher (CAN)

Javelin throw

Place Athlete Total Points Note
1  Marie Janderová [sv] (TCH) 158 ft
2  Kamila Olmerova (TCH)
3  Sophie Elliott-Lynn (GBR)

Long jump

Place Athlete Distance Points Note
1  Hazel Conacher (CAN) 15' 5" [9]
?  Margaret Hull (GBR) 5.15 m [10]

Discus throw

Place Athlete Distance Points Note
1
2
3  Jean Godson (CAN) 78' 7" [9]

800 metres

Place Athlete Time Points Note
1  Edith Trickey (GBR) 2:32.2 [11]

Overall classification

Rank Athlete Points
1  United Kingdom 56
2  Czechoslovakia 26
2  Canada 23

[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 M. Ann Hall (January 2016). The Girl and the Game: A History of Women's Sport in Canada. University of Toronto Press. p. 79-81. ISBN 978-1-4426-3412-1 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Women's athletics". The Register. 3 August 1925. p. 8 – via Trove.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Bij de Sportvrouwen | Te Stamford Bridge". Sportwereld (in Dutch). 3 August 1925. p. 2 – via uurl.kbr.be.
  4. ↑ "Canadian Girls'track and field team is selected". Free Press Evening Bulletin. 13 July 1925. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ron Hotchkiss (18 November 2021). Queen Of the Cinder Track: The Life and Times of Rosa Margueretta Grosse. FriesenPress. p. 91-123. ISBN 978-1-0391-1879-9 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ "Un meeting international féminin a Stamford-Bridge | Ce samedi après midi". La Dernière Heure (in French). 1 August 1925. p. 4 – via uurl.kbr.be.
  7. ↑ "International women's track and field events at Stamford Bridge (1925)". British Pathé. 1925 – via Youtube.
  8. ↑ "Vrouwenbijeenkomst te Stamford Bridge | Nieuw wereldrecord". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 3 August 1925. p. 5 – via uurl.kbr.be.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 McNulty, Bill; Radcliffe, Ted (1992). Canadian Athletics 1839-1992 (PDF). p. 204. ISBN 0-969-4043-0-8 – via athleticsontario.ca. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  10. ↑ [1]
  11. ↑ [2]

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