Audrey Doreen Swayne WILLIAMSON

A commisioned officer in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, Audrey Williamson was not well known in Britain prior to 1948 as she usually confined herself to army and inter-services competition and did not run a competitive 200 m race until ten weeks before the London Games. It was five weeks before the Olympics that she first received any coaching and it was very much as the third string runner of the British women that took to the track at Wembley. Despite the fact she showed good form in the heats it was still a surprise when Williamson produced a fast finish to win the silver medal behind legendary Dutchwoman Fanny Blankers-Koen on a wet and muddy Wembley track. Although she continued competing until 1954 and won many army and services titles Williamson never again approached her form of 1948 and was not chosen for any other major championship. In 1958 she married fellow soldier Major Brian Mitchell and left the British Army. The couple had four children.

Personal Best: 200 – 25.1 (1948).