Dixie Isabel Willis ''(later Booth, then Ingram)'' (born 13 December 1941 in

Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

) is a former Australian middle distance

runner Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

, who won the gold medal in the women's 880 yards event at the

1962 Commonwealth Games The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Australia, from 22 November to 1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth. T ...

. She was selected to compete over 800 metres for her native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics. At

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in 1960 she was leading the final with 70 metres remaining when she fell off the track. She then regained the track to finish last. In 1964 at

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

she was unable to compete due to injury. On 3 March 1962 she set world records for 800 metres (2:01.2) and 880 yards (2:02.0) in narrowly beating

Marise Chamberlain Marise Ann Millicent Chamberlain (born 5 December 1935) is a New Zealand former middle-distance runner. She is the only New Zealand woman to win an Olympic medal in track athletics ( Lorraine Moller won a medal in the marathon). She set world ...

(2:01.4 and 2:02.3) who also beat the previous world records. She broke the world record for the women's

440 yards 44 may refer to: * 44 (number) * one of the years 44 BC, AD 44, 1944, 2044 Military *44M Tas, a Hungarian medium/heavy tank design of World War II *44M Tas Rohamlöveg, a Hungarian tank destroyer design of World War II, derived from the 44M Tas ta ...

in Brisbane in 1963 alongside Betty Cuthbert.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Dixie Australian female middle-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes for Australia 1941 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Track and field athletes from Western Australia Medallists at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Sportswomen from Western Australia