Norma Wilson (11 December 1909 – 10 July 2000) was a New Zealand athlete who represented New Zealand at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

. Born in

Gisborne, New Zealand Gisborne ( mi, Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa "Great standing place of Kiwa") is a city in northeastern New Zealand and the largest settlement in the Gisborne District (or Gisborne Region). It has a population of The district council has its headquarter ...

, she was a member of her local athletics club and by the time she was 18 years old she was dubbed the ''New Zealand Lady Flier'' by the media, she had twice equalled the 100 yards World Records but on both occasions the tracks were deemed seven inches too short. Wilson was the first woman track athlete to represent New Zealand at an Olympics when she competed in the

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

, where even with the lack of experience in using a cinder track she finished second in her first round heat, before finishing in fifth place in the semi-final heat. She told the “stuffed shirt” officials when she returned that New Zealand needed a cinder track. She also refused to run in a

Basin Reserve The Basin Reserve (commonly known as "The Basin") is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand. It has been used for Test matches, and is the main home ground for the Wellington Firebirds first-class team. The Basin Reserve is the only cricke ...

appearance unless she could wear shorts, and ''in no time, all the girls were wearing shorts''. She married Ted Morgan, a New Zealand boxer at the same Olympics, in 1933 but divorced him in 1938. She then married Rangi Marsh, a jockey and lived in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

References

*''Our Olympic Century'' by Joseph Romanos pages 40–41 (2008, Trio Books, Wellington)

External links

Profile at NZOC website

1909 births 2000 deaths New Zealand female sprinters Olympic athletes of New Zealand Athletes (track and field) at the 1928 Summer Olympics Olympic female sprinters {{NewZealand-athletics-bio-stub