- Jean Desforges
Jean Catherine Desforges (born
4 July ,1929 ) is a British athlete who competed mainly in the 80 metres hurdles and Long Jump.She competed for Great Britain in the
1952 Summer Olympics held inHelsinki ,Finland , where she finished 5th in the 80m Hurdles and in the 4 x 100 metres where she won the bronze medal with her team matesSylvia Cheeseman ,June Foulds andHeather Armitage .In 1953, Jean Desforges became the first British woman to Long Jump over 20 feet, when Jumping 6.10 m in
Nienburg , Germany.She was European Champion in the Long Jump, in the 1954 European Championships in Berne Switzerland, with a Jump of 6.04m. At the same games Jean finished 6th in the 80m Hurdles.
In the 1950 European Championships in Brussels, Jean finished 5th in the 80m Hurdles and was part of the Gold Medal winning 4x 100m Relay team, and remains the only British athlete to have won a European Gold medal in both a Track and a Field event.
In the 1954 Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada, Jean won a Bronze Medal in both the Long Jump and 80m Hurdles.
British Champion: 80m Hurdles in 1949, 1952, 1953 and 1954. Long Jump in 1953 and 1954. Pentathlon in 1953 and 1954.
Married Ron Pickering, noted Coach and TV Commentator, on
October 23 ,1954 , in Forest Gate, London. Daughter: Kim, (b. 1958), Son: Shaun (b. 1961)
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