Ruth Dickey (née Dowman, 3 January 1930 – 14 September 2018) was a New Zealand

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 ...

er and sprinter who won a bronze medal in the long jump at the

1950 British Empire Games The 1950 British Empire Games was 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. The main venue was ...

Biography

Born on 3 January 1930 to Athol Frederick Dowman and Iris Muriel Dowman (née Kettle), Ruth Dowman showed early promise as a sprinter, beating

Joan Hart Irene Joan Davidson (née Hart, 30 August 1925 – 23 September 2006) was a New Zealand sprinter who, as Joan Hart, represented her country at the 1950 British Empire Games. Biography Hart was born on 30 August 1925, the daughter of Frederick ...

in a 100 yards handicap race in December 1944. Later that season, in February 1945, Dowman won the 100 yards title at the

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

provincial track championships, and finished third in the 75 yards. The following month, she competed at the New Zealand national athletics championships in

Napier Napier may refer to: People * Napier (surname), including a list of people with that name * Napier baronets, five baronetcies and lists of the title holders Given name * Napier Shaw (1854–1945), British meteorologist * Napier Waller (1893–19 ...

, finishing second in both the 75 yards and 100 yards sprints. Dowman went on to win five national athletics titles: the 75 yards in 1946, 1947, and 1948; and the 100 yards in 1946 and 1947. At the

, Dowman recorded a best distance of , a personal best, in winning the bronze medal in the women's long jump, behind

Yvette Williams Dame Yvette Winifred Corlett (née Williams; 25 April 1929 – 13 April 2019) was a New Zealand track-and-field athlete who was the first woman from her country to win an Olympic gold medal and to hold the world record in the women's long jum ...

and Judy Canty. She also competed in the women's 100 yards, being eliminated in the semi-finals. In the 660 yards relay, Dowman was in the New Zealand team alongside

Lesley Rowe Lesley Martha Gibson (née Rowe, 21 March 1929 – 5 July 2011) was a New Zealand sprinter who, as Lesley Rowe, won a silver medal representing her country at the 1950 British Empire Games. Early life and family Rowe was born in the Auckland su ...

Dorothea Parker Mary Dorothea Smith (née Parker; 10 August 1928 – 24 December 1993) was a New Zealand sprinter. At the 1950 British Empire Games she won a silver medal in the 440 yards relay, alongside Shirley Hardman and Lesley Rowe. She also ran in the 100 ...

and Shirley Hardman, but the quartet was disqualified after the baton was dropped and incorrectly retrieved at the final exchange. In 1951, Dowman married Clifford Samuel Dickey. She died on 14 September 2018.

References

1930 births 2018 deaths Athletes from Auckland New Zealand female sprinters New Zealand female long jumpers Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for New Zealand Athletes (track and field) at the 1950 British Empire Games Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Medallists at the 1950 British Empire Games New Zealand Athletics Championships winners {{NewZealand-athletics-bio-stub