Dorothy Tyler: First British woman to win Olympic athletics medal dies

Dorothy Tyler, the first British woman to win an individual Olympic medal in athletics, has died at the age of 94.

Tyler took silver in the high jump at the 1936 Olympics when she was 16 and set a world record of 1.66m in 1939.

She won a second silver 12 years later at the London Games, by which time she had married, had two children and been involved in World War II driving official vehicles.

She remains Britain's most decorated female Olympic high jumper. Tyler won her first major international gold with victory at the Empire Games in Sydney in 1938 and broke the world record a year later.

She retained her Empire Games title in Auckland in 1950.

Tyler competed at four Olympic Games and was the only British woman to win an Olympic medal both before and after World War II.

She was made an MBE at the age of 81 and inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.

Dorothy Tyler factfile
Born in London in 1920, takes up athletics at the age of 11
Wins high jump silver at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin competing under her maiden name, Dorothy Obam, clearing 1.60m
Two years later claims first major international gold at the Empire Games in Sydney
Breaks high jump world record in 1939 by clearing 1.66m
Wins a second Olympic silver medal at her home Games in London in 1948
Retains her Empire Games title two years later in Auckland at the age of 30
Retires from international competition after the 1956 Olympics
Made an MBE in 2001 and official starter for the London Marathon in 2012

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