Joan Harrison, South Africa’s first Olympic swimming gold medallist, has died at the age of 89.
Born on 29 November 1935 in East London, Harrison rose to international prominence as a teenage swimming prodigy, earning her place in history at just 16 years old.
Golden legacy
At the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, Harrison won gold in the 100m backstroke with a time of 1:14.3, making her the first South African swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal.
It would be another 44 years before another South African woman – Penny Heyns – would replicate that feat.
Harrison entered the Helsinki Games as an underdog.
“I did not put too much pressure on myself. I was not the favourite, the girl from Holland (Geertje Wielema) was,” Joan Harrison recalled in a recent interview.
“Team South Africa was made up of more than 80 people and I was the only female swimmer.”
She added that although the gold medal stirred public celebration, her life remained grounded.
“People made a fuss about it. But my life did not really change. I was still an ordinary girl from East London. When we arrived back in the city there were thousands of people waiting for me at the city hall.”
A career of firsts
Joan Harrison’s talent was evident early: at 13, she already held three South African junior and two senior national records, and had won national titles in the 220- and 500-yard freestyle events.
In 1950, at age 14, she competed in the British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand, where she won gold in the 440-yard freestyle, breaking the Games record by 13 seconds.
She was named the Outstanding Woman Swimmer of the Games.
She returned to the international stage at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, collecting two golds, one silver, and one bronze.
Despite retiring from international competition at just 17, Harrison returned in 1956 to win national titles in both the 100m backstroke and 300m individual medley.
In recognition of her achievements, Harrison was awarded the Helms Foundation Award in 1952 for the best athletic performance by an African athlete.
Hall of Fame career
In 1982, Harrison was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer.
She joined a distinguished class that included swimming legends from around the globe.
At the ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, she was honoured with a commemorative display and left her footprints in cement – a lasting tribute to a trailblazing career.
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