Betty Forbes

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Betty Taylor
Forbes, c. 1937
Personal information
Birth nameElizabeth Madge Forbes
Born(1916-12-27)27 December 1916
Died29 August 2002(2002-08-29) (aged 85)
SpouseGeorge Taylor
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportAthletics
Achievements and titles
National finalsHigh jump champion (1939, 1940, 1941)
Medal record
Women's Athletics
Representing  New Zealand
British Empire Games
Bronze medal – third place 1938 Sydney High Jump

Elizabeth Madge Taylor (née Forbes; 27 December 1916 – 29 August 2002) was a New Zealand track and field athlete who competed at the 1938 British Empire Games, where she won the bronze medal in the women's high jump.

Early life and family[edit]

Born on 27 December 1916, Forbes was the daughter of Alexander Forbes and Elizabeth Herries Forbes (née McKenzie).[1] She was educated at Waitaki Girls' High School in Oamaru.[2]

Athletics[edit]

Forbes came to national attention in 1933, when her application for the New Zealand women's high jump record, with a jump of 4 ft 8+3⁄4 in (1.44 m) was declined as the certificates were not received in time by the Council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletics Association (NZAAA).[3] However, the following year, she recorded a height of 4 ft 9+1⁄2 in (1.46 m) at Dunedin on 3 February 1934 that was duly recognised as a national record.[4]

In February 1936, Forbes bettered her New Zealand record at the Otago track and field championships with a jump of 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m),[5] but once again the NZAAA refused to ratify it as the application for the record was out of time.[6] She went on to increase the record to 4 ft 11+1⁄2 in (1.51 m), and then broke the five-foot barrier with a leap of 5 ft 3⁄16 in (1.53 m) at Dunedin in November 1937.[7]

At the national trials in December 1937 for the New Zealand team to compete at the 1938 British Empire Games, Forbes increased her national mark by 1⁄16 in (0.2 cm), recording a height of 5 ft 1⁄4 in (1.53 m),[8] and she was subsequently confirmed in the team for the games in Sydney.[9] At those games, Forbes won the bronze medal in the women's high jump, with a height of 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m), 1 inch (2.5 cm) behind the gold medal winner, Dorothy Odam from England.[10]

Forbes went on to win the New Zealand national high jump title in 1939, 1940 and 1941.[11]

Later life and death[edit]

Forbes married George Taylor. She died on 29 August 2002.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Birth search: registration number 1917/13641". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Profiles of former students". Waitaki Girls' High School. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Amateur athletics". Evening Post. 6 June 1933. p. 12. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  4. ^ "Athletic records". Evening Post. 8 May 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  5. ^ "Otago championships: Dominion record beaten". New Zealand Herald. 10 February 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  6. ^ "New records". Evening Post. 18 March 1936. p. 14. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  7. ^ "Ladies' high jump record". New Zealand Herald. 22 November 1937. p. 14. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  8. ^ "N.Z. Empiad tirals". Auckland Star. 13 December 1937. p. 15. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Athletes chosen". New Zealand Herald. 16 December 1937. p. 15. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Further records". New Zealand Herald. 14 February 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  11. ^ Hollings, Stephen (December 2016). "National champions 1887–2016" (PDF). Athletics New Zealand. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  12. ^ "Death search: registration number 2002/20558". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
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