Eileen Wearne
Encyclopedia
Alice Eileen Wearne (30 January 1912 - 6 July 2007) was an Australia
n athlete who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics
and won gold and bronze medals at the 1938 British Empire Games
.
and was the second woman selected to represent Australia in athletics at the Olympic Games
after Edith Robinson
. She competed in the 100 metre sprint competition finishing fourth in her heat.
Wearne continued to participate in athletic events in Australia during the 1930s and won New South Wales
and Australian championships enjoying a healthy rivalry with Robinson. However, she did not compete in the 1934 British Empire Games
or 1936 Summer Olympics
. She entered the 1938 British Empire Games which were held in Sydney. Wearne finished third in the 220 yard sprint behind fellow Australians Decima Norman
and Jean Coleman
. She was a member of the 440 yard relay gold medal team with Norman. Wearne was the first woman to represent Australia at both the Olympics and British Empire Games with Victoria
n high jump
er Doris Carter
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n athlete who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
and won gold and bronze medals at the 1938 British Empire Games
1938 British Empire Games
The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games being the modern-day equivalent. Held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from February 5–12, 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary...
.
Athletic career
She was born Alice Eileen Wearne in Sydney, New South Wales in NSW. Wearne was selected in the Australian Olympic team as a sprinterSprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
and was the second woman selected to represent Australia in athletics at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
after Edith Robinson
Edith Robinson
Edith Frances Robinson was the first Australian female track and field athlete to compete at an Olympic Games....
. She competed in the 100 metre sprint competition finishing fourth in her heat.
Wearne continued to participate in athletic events in Australia during the 1930s and won New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Australian championships enjoying a healthy rivalry with Robinson. However, she did not compete in the 1934 British Empire Games
1934 British Empire Games
The 1934 British Empire Games were the second of what is now known as the Commonwealth Games. They were held at the White City Stadium in London, England from 4–11 August 1934, apart from the cycling at Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester, and the swimming, which took place at the Empire Pool in Wembley...
or 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. She entered the 1938 British Empire Games which were held in Sydney. Wearne finished third in the 220 yard sprint behind fellow Australians Decima Norman
Decima Norman
Decima Norman, MBE was an Australian athlete, who won five gold medals at the 1938 British Empire Games....
and Jean Coleman
Jean Coleman
Jean Henri Coleman was a wartime member of the Special Operations Executive.Jean Henri Coleman was born in Neuilly sur Seine, France the son of John Henry Coleman, an English banker, and Eugenie Eulalie Rime, originating from Switzerland.He married Deirdre Brownlow in 1943.-Wartime exploits:After...
. She was a member of the 440 yard relay gold medal team with Norman. Wearne was the first woman to represent Australia at both the Olympics and British Empire Games with Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
er Doris Carter
Doris Carter
Doris Jessie Carter OBE was an Australian athlete who specialised in the high jump. She was the first Australian female track and field athlete to make an Olympic Games final....
.