Shirley Ascott (10 December 1930 – 29 December 1995) was a British

canoe sprint Canoe sprint is a water sport in which athletes race in specially designed sprint canoes or sprint kayaks on calm water over a short distance. Prior to November 2008, canoe sprint was known as flatwater racing. The term is still in use today ...

er who competed in the early 1950s. She competed in the K-1 500 m event at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. After Japan declared in ...

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

, but was eliminated in the heats.

Biography

Ascott was from

Hounslow Hounslow ( ) is a large suburban district of West London, England, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 14 metropolitan cen ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she was evacuated, and studied at Fleetwood Grammar School. She worked in an aircraft factory, and started canoeing in 1950. In 1952, Ascott was one of two British women who attempted to qualify for the

; after winning the trial event, she was selected for the Games. At the Games, she was eliminated in the heats.

References

1930 births 1995 deaths Canoeists at the 1952 Summer Olympics Olympic canoeists for Great Britain British female canoeists {{UK-canoe-bio-stub