Phyllis Ann LONG

A spectator at the 1948 Olympics, Ann Long was only 12 at the time, and travelled from her Ilford home to Wembley with a friend, sneaking in through an opened door to watch the diving competition. This was the start of a dream which saw her go to the next three Games as a competitor. In her early days, Long was coached by Cyril Laxton, the man who once also coached Betty Slade. Ann joined the Ilford Diving Club and was part of the team that gave diving displays around the London area, a popular pastime in post-war England. Despite not winning an Olympic medal, Long won the British Empire and Commonwealth Games springboard gold medal in 1954, when she also won the platform bronze. She completed the set with a silver medal in the platform event in 1958.

Long always wanted to be a sports teacher, but her parents thought a job in the city would be better and she ended up getting a job with the Bank of England. After her diving days ended, however, she went into teaching in Essex and also introduced many youngsters to the sport of diving in Southend. In later life, she bought the Miley Pub in Rochford, Essex.