Elenor Gordon - Swimming
Born 1933, Inducted 2003
In 1950, 16-year-old Helen Orr Gordon (now known as Elenor) and her chaperone set off on a six-week voyage to the Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games) in New Zealand. Elenor returned with the first ever Gold medal won by a Scottish woman at the Commonwealth Games. Her triumph in the 220 yards breaststroke also makes her the youngest ever Scottish Gold medallist.
Two years later, at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, she was the only Briton to win a swimming medal. But the final was controversial. It included both breaststroke and butterfly swimmers - the butterfly being a new style, and also a faster one. Gordon finished third to two butterfly swimmers.
- 1952 Olympic Games, Bronze, 200m breaststroke
- 1950 Empire Games, Gold, 220 yards breaststroke (Games Record) and Bronze, medley relay
- 1954 Commonwealth Games Gold, medley relay, and Gold, 220 yards breaststroke (Commonwealth Games record).