Ethel Scott facts for kids
 |
||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Great Britain |
||
| Women's Athletics | ||
| Women's World Games | ||
| Silver | 1930 Prague | 4×100 metre relay |
Ethel Scott (1907–1984) was a talented British sprinter. She made history as the first black woman to represent Great Britain in a big international sports event. Ethel competed in the 1930s, but sadly, not much is known about her amazing achievements today.
Contents
Ethel Scott's Athletics Career
Many details about Ethel Scott's sports career are not known. However, we do know she was great at short-distance running. Her best events were the 60-meter sprint and the 4x100-meter relay race. She competed from 1928 to 1950, with her biggest successes happening around 1930.
Setting Records
On August 30, 1930, Ethel ran her fastest 60-meter sprint. This happened at a track meet in Mitcham, London. Her time was 7.8 seconds. This was very close to the world record of 7.6 seconds at the time. It also matched the British record, which was set in 1922 by Mary Lines. Ethel Scott is considered one of the top 40 sprinters in this event before 1940.
She also set her best time for the 100 meters in 1930. This was 11.1 seconds at a competition in Arras, France. If this time had been officially confirmed, it would have been very close to a world record.
Club and Awards
Ethel Scott likely competed with the Middlesex Ladies' Athletics Club. A club badge with their special three-sword design and the letters MLAC has been found. A newspaper article from 1930 also confirms her connection to this club. Ethel also took part in many sports events for the Civil Service, where she worked. She once said she won the 100-meter sprint for the Ministry of Labour four years in a row!
A photo from 1929 shows Ethel in her MLAC uniform. Around her are many awards she won. These include at least six medals, four trophies, and other prizes like a tea set. Her oldest award is a box of fish knives and forks from 1928. It says 'E.Scott 1st 100 yards 1928'. Her last medal was for a relay race in 1950. Sadly, many of her awards, including her silver medal from the Women's World Games, were lost. This happened when her family's home was destroyed during a German air raid in 1940.
International Competitions
The most exciting part of Ethel Scott's career happened in September 1930. She was one of 15 athletes chosen to represent Britain. They went to the third Women's World Games in Prague. These games were created by Alice Milliat. She wanted to give women more chances to compete internationally. At that time, the Olympics had very few events for women.
Competing in Prague
Ethel Scott competed in the 60-meter sprint and the 4x100-meter relay. On September 6, she won her first race in the 60-meter sprint. She beat Lisa Gelius of Germany in a very close finish. About 15,000 people watched this exciting race! However, she did not finish in the top six in the final race the next day. She competed against some of the best sprinters of that time. These included Stella Walasiewicz (Poland) and Kinue Hitomi (Japan).
The British 4x100 relay team was more successful. The team included Ethel Scott, Ivy Walker, Eileen Hiscock, and Daisy Ridgley. They finished their qualifying race on September 7 in 49.7 seconds. The next day, they won the silver medal in the final! Their time was 50.5 seconds.
After the Games
After the Women's World Games, Ethel Scott and Ivy Walker traveled to Berlin. They competed in another track meet there. They joined two other British women, F. Latham and Muriel Gunn-Cornell. They called themselves the "London Team." This team did even better in Berlin. On September 13, 1930, they ran the 4x100 relay in 49.3 seconds.
Ethel Scott did not compete in the 1928 or 1932 Olympics. She also did not take part in the 1934 Women's World Games or the Empire Games. She did attend the 1938 European Athletics Championships in Vienna. This was the first time women's events were included. Ethel had a special bracelet from the event. It showed the flags of all the competing nations, including Nazi Germany. However, newspapers from that time do not list her as a competitor. This suggests she might have been there to help or coach the team.
Ethel Scott's Personal Life
Ethel Scott was born on October 22, 1907. Her parents were Jane (who was born Pilgrim) and David Emmanuel Scott. She had two brothers, Richard Walter and George Alexander, and one sister, Margery Gladys. Her father was in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during World War I. Sadly, he died in an accident in August 1914 when he was 49.
After her father's death, Ethel, Richard, and Margery lived with their mother Jane. They lived in Upton Park, London, and Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, until her mother passed away in 1951. Ethel worked for the Civil Service and later as a Medical Secretary. She retired after many years of work. Ethel Scott never married or had children. She passed away in 1984.
