Eleanor Louise McKenzie (born June 29, 1931) was a Canadian

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

sprinter in the late 1940s and 1950s. She was born in

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British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Career

McKenzie competed in the 60, 100, 220 yards and the 100 and 200 meters and in the 400 m (440 yd) relays. She was recognized as Canada's Outstanding Woman Athlete of the Year winning the

Velma Springstead Trophy The Velma Springstead Trophy is an award presented annually to Canada's outstanding female Sportsperson, athlete. It is named in honour of track athlete Velma Springstead whose career ended prematurely when she died from pneumonia in 1927 when only ...

in 1949. She participated in the 1952 Summer Olympic Games held in

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and in the

1950 British Empire Games The 1950 British Empire Games were the fourth staging of what is now called the Commonwealth Games. It was held in Auckland, New Zealand, between 4 and 11 February 1950, after a 12-year gap from the third edition of the games. A documentary fil ...

held in New Zealand. McKenzie was the fastest Canadian woman from 1949 to 1953, winning the 100 and 200 race at all the Canadian championships. She ran the anchor position in the relays and with her speed she came from behind, breaking the Canadian relay record at the Canadian Track and Field championships in 1952. She placed 3rd at the 1950 British Empire Games in the 440 yards relay. At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics the Canadian relay team placed 7th. McKenzie's personal bests were achieved at the 1952 Olympics - 12.1 in the 100m sprint (7th fastest time in world) and 25.1 in the 200m sprint (11th fastest in the world). McKenzie's name was placed in the Vancouver City Book of Merit in 1950.

Personal life

McKenzie married Ron Miller from Toronto who held the Canadian Pole Vault record for three years (1953 to 1955). They both competed at the BEG games in Auckland, NZ. They married November 21, 1952, after they both competed at the 15th Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. Ronald Miller also competed at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, winning the silver medal in the

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...

. They had three daughters Beverly, Lynda and Donna, and 5 grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenzie, Eleanor 1931 births Living people Canadian female sprinters Track and field athletes from Vancouver Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes for Canada Athletes (track and field) at the 1950 British Empire Games Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Canada Olympic female sprinters Medallists at the 1950 British Empire Games Canadian Track and Field Championships winners 20th-century Canadian sportswomen Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics