| Jennie Fletcher | |
| Fullname: | Jennie Fletcher |
| National Team: | Great Britain |
| Birth Date: | 19 March 1890 |
| Birth Place: | Belgrave, Leicester, England |
| Death Place: | Teeswater, Ontario, Canada |
| Strokes: | Freestyle |
| Club: | Leicester Ladies SC |
Jennie Fletcher (19 March 1890 – 17 January 1968), later known by her married name Jennie Hyslop, was a British competitive swimmer, Olympic gold medallist, and former world record-holder.[1] In 1905 she set a new world record in the 100-yard freestyle that stood for seven years.[2] She was selected for the 1908 Olympics, but the women's swimming events were cancelled due to a shortage of participants. [3] At the 1912 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the individual 100-metre freestyle race.[4] In 1971 she was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer".[5]
Fletcher was born in an underprivileged family of 11 siblings and had to combine swimming with daily 12-hour work.[5] In 1913, she began teaching swimming in Leicester, which ended her competitive career as she turned from an amateur into a professional. In 1917, she married and immigrated to Canada, where she gave birth to a daughter and five sons.[6] [7]