1925 Great Britain–Czechoslovakia–Canada women's athletics match

The 1925 Great Britain–Czechoslovakia–Canada women's athletics match was an international women's athletics competition where a national team of female British athletes competed against a national team of Canadian and Czechosolvak athletes. It took place on 1 August 1925 at Stamford Bridge in London, the United Kingdom.

1925 Great Britain–Czechoslovakia–Canada women's athletics match
Dates	1 August 1925
Host city	London, United Kingdom
Venue	Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge pictured in 1909
Level	Senior
Type	Outdoor track and field
Events	9
Participation	37 athletes from 3 nations
Records set	1 World Record

The match was won by Great Britain with 56 points, ahead of Czechoslovakia with 26 points and Canada with 23 points. During the competition Vera Palmer broke the world record in the 250 metres with a time of 33.8 seconds.

Background

The event took place in the early era of international women’s athletics with the first women’s international tournaments being held from 1921. The event was held year after the 1924 Women's Olympiad that took place at the same place.

During the same weekend another main international women's athletics match was held in Brussels, the 1925 Belgium–France women's athletics match.

Canadian selection

Canada had received an invitation to compete with all expenses being paid for 10 athletes and two "lady assistants". The selection of athletes became controversial. The Ontario branch of the AAU received the invitation and appointed Walter Knox as manager and coach. However, as the inviation stated "lady assistants" the national AAU stepped and ultimatly Alexandrine Gibb became the manager and coach. At that time she only had one week to organize the trials, that were held on 11 July at the University of Toronto, six days before the team would sail to the United Kingdom. There was critisizm from the press that women from outside Toronto would be unable to compete, which was true in the end. Froutytwo female competed in the trials. Two of the best Canadian sprinters Fanny Rosenfield and Rosa Grosse didn't join the national team due to other athletics meetings leading up to the Ontario athletics championships in August 1925. The ten selected athletes included five from Toronto, three from Hamilton, one from St. Catharines and one from Montreal.

The athletes received a Canadian uniform supplied by the Canadian Olympic Committee. It consisting a white jerseys edged with scarlet, a red maple leaf on the breast and scarlet socks and knickers.

The team was send-off by hundreds friends and supporters including chaperone Mrs. Gordon Finlay, sister in law of the president of the AAU. During the voyage the athletes trained each day on the ship according to Gibb by walking on the deck and in the well-equiped gymnasium. After arrival in Londen the athletes were also trained by British coaches Sam Mussabini and Frederick Webster who where both supporters of women's athletics.

After arrival in Canada there was still a large debate about the selection that was made.

On 10 September 1925 the athletes were invited by the AAU of C for a lunch at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.

Entrants

The members of the teams were puslished on 1 August 1925. For Canada and Czechoslovakia it was not the final selection, as it was not yet determined who whould run the relay event and for Czechoslovakia it was also not yet known who would compete in the 100 yards hurdles.

Names and events in italics differences between the entry and athletes competing in the events.

United Kingdom

Name	Event
Rose Thompson	100 yards 660 yards relay
Nora Callebout	100 yards 660 yards relay
Vera Palmer	250 metres 660 yards relay
Violet Streater	250 metres 660 yards relay
Edith Trickey	880 yards
Gladys Lane	880 yards
Hilda Hatt	100 metres hurdles High jump
Peggy Batt	100 metres hurdles
Mary Weston	Shot put
Beatrice Manton	Shot put
Florence Birchenough	Discus throw
E. Bell	Discus throw
Ivy Wilson	Javelin throw
Sophie Elliott-Lynn	Javelin throw
Margaret Hull	Long jump 660 yards relay
Phyllis Green	Long jump High jump
Florence Haynes	660 yards relay
Madge Wannop	660 yards relay
Moeller	660 yards relay

Canada

Name	Event
Josie Dyment	100 yards
Myrtle Cook	100 yards
Gertrude Wood	250 metres 880 yards
Kay Flannagan	250 metres 880 yards
Velma Springstead	100 metres hurdles High jump
Grace Conacher	100 metres hurdles High jump
Hazel Conacher	Long jump
Molly Trindell	Shot put
Jean Godson	Discus throw Javelin throw
Clara Ballard	Javelin throw

Czechoslovakia

Name	Event
Marie Mejzlikova II	100 yards Long jump
Zdena Smolová	100 yards Long jump
Marie Kofránková	250 metres 100 metres hurdles
Miloslava Havlíčková	100 metres hurdles High jump Discus throw
Ludmila Vencová	Shot put
Marie Vidláková	Shot put
Kamila Olmerova	Discus throw
Marie Janderová	Javelin throw

Opening

The opening of the event included a parade of nations, where the national delegations walked behind each other with the fanfare first.

Competition

100 yards

Place	Athlete	Time	Points	Note
1	Rose Thompson (GBR)	11.8 sec
2	Nora Callebout (GBR)
3	Myrtle Cook (CAN)

High jump

Place	Athlete	Height	Points	Note
1	Phyllis Green (GBR)	1.475 m
2	Hilda Hatt (GBR)	1.45 m
3	Velma Springstead (CAN)
4
5	Grace Conacher (CAN)	4' 5"

250 metres

Place	Athlete	Time	Points	Note
1	Vera Palmer (GBR)	33.8 sec		WR
2	Kay Flannagan (CAN)
3	Violet Streater (GBR)

Shot put

Place	Athlete	Distance	Points	Note
1	Mary Weston (GBR)	60 ft 3.75 in
2	Ludmila Vencová (TCH)
3	Molly Trindell (CAN)
4	Marie Vidláková (TCH)

100 yards hurdles

Place	Athlete	Time	Points	Note
1	Hilda Hatt (GBR)	15.2 s
2	Peggy Batt (GBR)
3	Grace Conacher (CAN)

Javelin throw

Place	Athlete	Total	Points	Note
1	Marie Janderová (TCH)	158 ft
2	Kamila Olmerova (TCH)
3	Sophie Elliott-Lynn (GBR)

Long jump

Place	Athlete	Distance	Points	Note
1	Hazel Conacher (CAN)	15' 5"
?	Margaret Hull (GBR)	5.15 m

Discus throw

Place	Athlete	Distance	Points	Note
1
2
3	Jean Godson (CAN)	78' 7"

800 metres

Place	Athlete	Time	Points	Note
1	Edith Trickey (GBR)	2:32.2

Overall classification

Rank	Athlete	Points
1	United Kingdom	56
2	Czechoslovakia	26
2	Canada	23

Other websites

• Video of the event
• Canadian women image