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Isabelle Mary "Belle" White (1 September 1894 – 24 June 1972) was the first British diver to win a medal at the Olympic Games,[1] and at the European championships.[2] She competed in four Olympics, including the 1912 Summer Olympics, where she won a bronze medal in the women's plain high diving event, as well as the 1920 Summer Olympics, 1924 Summer Olympics, and 1928 Summer Olympics.[3] She also won a gold medal at the European Aquatics Championships in 1927.[4]

Belle White

After 1920 Antwerp Olympics
Personal information
Birth name	Isabelle Mary White
Born	(1894-09-01)1 September 1894 London
Died	24 June 1972(1972-06-24) (aged 77) Muswell Hill, London
Employer	Amateur Diving Association
Spouse(s)	Captain Tommy Edwards
Sport
Event(s)	High diving
Club	Hammersmith Ladies SC Ilford Ladies SC
Medal record Women's diving Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games 1912 Stockholm 10 m platform European Championships 1927 Bologna Platform

Belle White has been inducted into the Swim England Hall of Fame.[4] The Belle White Trophy was named in her honour in 1935.[5] Now known as the Belle White National Memorial Trophy, the cup is awarded each year to "the female team with the highest aggregate score at the Swim England Diving National Age Group Championships."[4]

Early life and training

She was born in London.[6] She trained with the Hammersmith Ladies Swimming Club,[3] as well as the Ilford Ladies' Swimming Club.[7] White was awarded Swedish magister degrees in swimming and diving.[4]

Diving career

Olympic Games

In the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Belle White won a bronze medal in the plain high diving event, which required two dives from 5 metres and three dives from 10 metres.[8] It was the first year that diving and swimming events for women were included in the Olympics.[1][9] Twelve out of 14 competitors in the plain high platform diving event, including the gold and silver medalists, were Swedish.[8]

After World War I, she competed at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp in the women's plain high diving event, which required four dives – one running and one standing from both the 4-metre and 8-metre platforms.[10] White placed fourth at the 1920 Olympics, while British teammate Eileen Armstrong won silver.[10]

At the 1924 Olympics in Paris, White placed sixth in women's plain high diving, once again on the 5-metre and 10-metre platforms.[11] She was the only woman on the British squad to make it to the final in the event.[11]

Four years later, at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, White was fourth in her first round heat in what then called the women's "platform diving" event, and did not advance to the final.[3] Nearly 34 years old, she was the oldest member of the British diving squad.[3]

European Championships

In 1927, Belle White won the inaugural gold medal in women's platform diving at the European Aquatics Championships in Bologna.[5][12] Although she had not been selected for the British team, White decided to travel to the championships independently.[4]

National Championships

Belle White won nine national titles in plain diving.[4] She was the women's high diving champion in England from 1924, when the Ladies' Amateur Diving Championship began, to 1929.[13] In 1926, the championship was held in Torquay and watched by 10,000 spectators.[14] Following the competition, White did an exhibition dive from a height of over fifty feet, from Saddle Rock in Torquay.[14]

Advocacy for sport

Prior to the 1928 Olympics, Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News noted that swimming was gaining wider popularity among women as a sport, and noted that "Miss Belle White, whose diving is really a thing of beauty, strongly advocates it as a panacea for all ills, including care and worry."[15]

Post-diving career

In 1930, White retired from active competition, and was elected vice president of the Amateur Diving Association.[3] She served as a diving judge at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.[5]

Personal life

Belle White was married to Captain Tommy Edwards, a world fly-casting champion, but was always referred to by her maiden name.[1] She died in Muswell Hill.[6]

References

External links

• Isabelle 'Belle' White in Swim England Hall of Fame
• Belle White on Team GB
• Belle White in Olympedia

На других языках

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- [en] Belle White

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[it] Isabelle White

Isabelle Mary Isabelle Mary White, nota anche come Belle White (Willesden, 1º settembre 1894 – Muswell Hill, 24 giugno 1972), è stata una tuffatrice britannica.

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