Valerie Davies Explained

Valerie Davies
Fullname:Elizabeth Valerie Davies
Strokes:Freestyle, backstroke
Club:Roath Park SC
Birth Date:29 June 1912
Birth Place:Cardiff, Wales
Death Place:Newport, Wales

Elizabeth Valerie Davies (29 June 1912 – 2 August 2001), later known by her married name Valerie Latham, was a Welsh competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain at the 1932 Summer Olympics.[1]

Swimming career

At only 15 she won secured a Welsh championship.[2] Throughout her teenage years she won multiple Welsh swimming records.[3] [4] [5] She also competed for Wales at the 1930 British Empire Games winning all three medals. She was awarded two silver medals in the 100 yards backstroke and the 400 yards freestyle and a bronze medal in the 100 yards freestyle. Four years later she won the bronze medal in the 100 yards backstroke event.[6] [7] [8] In 1931, she represented Britain in 2 events at the World's Swimming Championships.[9]

In the 1932 Olympics she won bronze medals in the 100 m backstroke event and in 4×100 m freestyle relay event and was third in her first round heat of 100 m freestyle event and did not advance.[10]

Personal life

Davies was born, 29 June 1912, in Cardiff.[11] [12] She lived by Roath Park Lake, where she had to do most of her training, as at the time there wasn't A pool larger than 20-yards. She married Ricki Latham, a pilot officer in the Auxiliary Air Force, in 1939.[13] She Died in Newport, in august 2001.

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Mis Valerie Davies' Exhibition . 28 June 2024 . Somerset Standard, Somerset Guardian . 7 October 1932 . 6.
  2. News: Roth Park S.C. Gala . 28 June 2024 . Western Mail . 28 July 1925 . 4.
  3. News: Miss Valerie Davies, of Cardiff . 28 June 2024 . Western Mail . 3 September 1926 . 3.
  4. News: Valerie Davies Again . 28 June 2024 . Western Mail . 26 July 1926 . 3.
  5. News: Swimming Record Broken . 28 June 2024 . South Wales Evening Post . 12 June 1931 . 9.
  6. News: Welsh Swimming Team to Compete at Wembley . 28 June 2024 . Western Mail . 29 June 1934 . 3.
  7. News: Valerie Davies Impressive . 28 June 2024 . The Hamilton Spectator . 18 August 1930 . 21.
  8. News: Empire Games Swimming . 28 June 2024 . Evening Post . Press Association . 19 August 1930 . 5.
  9. News: Word's Championship . 28 June 2024 . Western Mail . 14 August 1931 . 3.
  10. News: The Olympic Games: Cambridge Crew Redeem Themselves: Valerie Davies Third in Swimming Final . 28 June 2024 . Coventry Evening Telegraph . 12 August 1932 . 6.
  11. Web site: Valerie Davies . Welsh Sports Hall Of Fame . 28 June 2024.
  12. News: Hitt . Carolyn . How Wales has punched above its weight for so long at the Commonwealth Games . 31 March 2018 . 28 June 2024 . Wales Online.
  13. News: Miss Valerie Davies Married . 28 June 2024 . Western Mail . 30 June 1939 . 13.
    see also: Marriage Picture . 28 June 2024 . Western Mail . 30 June 1939 . 13.