SWIMMER, FIRST WELSH WOMAN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST
The working-class daughter of a draper and a housewife, Irene Steer started her competitive swimming career in her hometown of Cardiff, practising regularly in Roath Park Lake. Despite being unlike other professional swimmers at a diminutive 5 foot 2 inches, she was unbeaten in the 100 yards freestyle at the Welsh Championships for seven years from 1907 to 1913. 1912 was the first year in which women were allowed to compete in international swimming events; she won an Olympic gold that year as part of the British 4 x 100 metre relay team, who also broke the world record. In the same year, Steer equalled the world record in the 100 yards freestyle event.
Location: Cardiff
Image Credit: (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons | Artwork provided by the University of South Wales
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