Dorothy Odam

Birthday: March 14, 1920 in South London, England, UK

Birth Name: Dorothy Jennifer Beatrice Odam

Height: 168 cm

Dorothy Jennifer Beatrice Odam was born on March 14, 1920 in Stockwell, South London, England. Dorothy specialized in high jumps and finished second in the women's high jump at the 1935 national ...Show More

Dorothy Jennifer Beatrice Odam was born on March 14, 1920 in Stockwell, South London, England. Dorothy specialized in high jumps and finished second in the women's high jump at the 1935 national indoor championships at Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London . Odam has the distinction of being the only female athlete to win track and field Olympic medals both before and after World War II: She won silver medals in the women's high jump at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany and the 1948 Olympics in London, England. Moreover, Dorothy won gold medals in the women's high jump at both the 1938 and 1950 British Empire Games. In addition, Odam not only won four indoor WAAA titles in the years 1936-1939 and eight outdoor WAAA titles in the years 1936-1939, 1948-1949, 1952, and 1956, but also set a high jump world record at 1.66 meters in 1939, placed in the outdoors high jump top three fourteen times altogether, and won the British titles in the long jump and pentathlon in 1951.In the wake of her retirement from international competitive sports in 1956, Dorothy went on to teach physical education and worked as both an innovative coach and British team manager. Odam took up golf at age 47; she eventually became an 11-handicapper and was a three time national over 80's champion. Dorothy was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. Her last public appearance was as the official starter for the 2012 London Marathon. Odam died on September 25, 2014 at age 94 following a short illness at a nursing home in Long Melford, Suffolk, England. She was survived by her husband Dick Tyler, two sons, and four grandchildren. Hide