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Beth Whittall

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Beth Whittall
Personal information
Full nameElizabeth Whittall
Nickname"Beth"
National team Canada
Born(1936-05-26)May 26, 1936
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DiedMay 1, 2015(2015-05-01) (aged 78)
Hudson, Quebec, Canada
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, butterfly
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing Canada
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1955 Mexico City 400 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1955 Mexico City 100 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place 1955 Mexico City 4x100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1955 Mexico City 4x100 m medley

Elizabeth Whittall (May 26, 1936 – May 1, 2015) was a Canadian competitive swimmer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

When she was 17 years old, Whittall won a silver medal in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games as a member of the Canadian 4×110 yd freestyle relay team. While studying pharmacy at Purdue University, Whittall won two gold medals at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City. She also won the 100-metre butterfly and the 400-metre freestyle events and was a member of the Canadian 4x400-metre medley relay team that won a silver medal. For those achievements, she was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete for 1955 and was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. At the end of that year, she held five Canadian swimming records, including the 110-yard butterfly, and the one-mile swim. She finished seventh in the 100-metre butterfly at the 1956 Summer Olympics[1] and retired from competition the following year.

In 1987, at the age of 50, Whittall set a Canadian record in the 200-metre freestyle for competitors in the 50-to-54 age group.

Whittall died on May 1, 2015, at the age of 78, and was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame on June 17, 2015.[2]

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Beth Whittall". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012.
  2. ^ "Former Olympic swimmer and Pan Am Games champ Elizabeth Whittall dies at age 78". The Brandon Sun. May 1, 2015. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015.