Helen Audrey Ray Frith (born 12 July 1939) is an Australian
athlete
An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance.
Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-dev ...
. She competed in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, representing her native country in the
long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
,
high jump and
pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) ( gr, πένταθλον). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of t ...
. She won silver medals at the
1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Australia, from 22 November to 1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth. The ...
in both the
long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
and
high jump and a bronze medal in the high jump at
1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
She was born in
Roseville, New South Wales
Roseville is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby. Roseville Chase is a s ...
, the daughter of
masters athletics
Masters athletics is a class of the sport of athletics for athletes of over 35 years of age. The events include track and field, road running and cross country running. Competitors are bracketed into five-year age groups (which promotes fair com ...
legend
Ruth Frith, who also coached her. She joined her mother in masters competition, under her married name Helen Searle she holds
masters W60 world records in the
hammer throw
The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin.
The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consist ...
and
throws pentathlon
The throws pentathlon also called the weight pentathlon is a combined event in track and field. Like all pentathlon events, it consists of five events; the four Olympic throwing events hammer throw, shot put, discus throw and javelin throw, plus ...
.
Frith was the 1960
Australian champion in the high jump, the 1964 and 1966 champion in the long jump, and five-time champion in the
pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) ( gr, πένταθλον). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of t ...
, 1960, 1962, 1964–6.
References
*
1939 births
Living people
Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Athletes (track and field) at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia
Olympic athletes for Australia
Australian female long jumpers
Australian female shot putters
Australian female discus throwers
Australian female hammer throwers
Australian female javelin throwers
Athletes from Sydney
Athletes from Brisbane
Australian female high jumpers
Australian masters athletes
World record holders in masters athletics
Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
20th-century Australian women
21st-century Australian women
Medallists at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Medallists at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Sportswomen from Queensland
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