Beth Whittall
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Whittall (born May 26, 1937 in Montréal, Québec) is a former champion swimmer from Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
.
When she was 18 years old and studying pharmacy at Purdue University
, Whittall won two gold medals at the 1955 Pan American Games
in Mexico City
. She won the 100 metre butterfly and the 400 metre freestyle events. She was also a member of the Canadian 4x400-metre medley relay team that won a silver medal. For those achievements, she was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy
as Canada's top athlete for 1955 and was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. At the end of that year, she held five Canadian swimming records, including the 110-yard butterfly, and the one-mile swim. She finished seventh in the 100 metre butterfly at the 1956 Summer Olympics
and retired from competition the following year.
In 1987, at the age of 50, Whittall set a Canadian record in the 200-metre freestyle for competitors in the 50 to 54 age range.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
When she was 18 years old and studying pharmacy at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, Whittall won two gold medals at the 1955 Pan American Games
1955 Pan American Games
The 2nd Pan American Games opened on March 12, 1955 in the University Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico, in front of a capacity crowd of 100,000 spectators....
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. She won the 100 metre butterfly and the 400 metre freestyle events. She was also a member of the Canadian 4x400-metre medley relay team that won a silver medal. For those achievements, she was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy
Lou Marsh Trophy
The Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936...
as Canada's top athlete for 1955 and was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. At the end of that year, she held five Canadian swimming records, including the 110-yard butterfly, and the one-mile swim. She finished seventh in the 100 metre butterfly at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
and retired from competition the following year.
In 1987, at the age of 50, Whittall set a Canadian record in the 200-metre freestyle for competitors in the 50 to 54 age range.