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| Nationality | British (English) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 March 1944 Stockport, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Stockport SC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Diana Elizabeth Wilkinson (born 17 March 1944) is a retired British freestyle swimmer. She competed in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1958 to 1966, the 1958 and 1962 European Aquatics Championships, and the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics.
She won five medals at the 1958 and 1962 European Aquatics Championships. [1] She also participated in the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics. [2]
Wilkinson was just 16 years old when she represented Great Britain at the 1960 Summer Olympics in the 100 metre freestyle, in the event she finished in third place in her heat and didn't qualify for the next round. Four years later she competed in two events at the 1964 Summer Olympics, she entered the 100 metre freestyle again and this time she finished fifth in her heat so didn't advance to the next round, she was also a part of the 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay team which finished last in there heat and didn't advance to the final. [3]
She competed in four Commonwealth Games winning five medals. In May 1958 she took part in the Empire Games trials in Blackpool [4] and subsequently represented the English team [5] at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales. She competed in the 110 & 440 yards freestyle events and helped England claim the gold medal in the final of the women's 4 x 110 yards medley relay, with Judy Grinham, Anita Lonsbrough and Christine Gosden and the bronze medal in the final of the women's 4 x 110 yards freestyle, with Beryl Noakes, Judy Grinham and Anne Marshall. [6]
Four years later she won a silver medal in the medley relay and a third consecutive bronze in the freestyle relay, at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia. Finally during the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica she won her final and fourth consecutive freestyle relay medal. [7]
She is a four times winner of the British Championship in 100 metres freestyle (1961-1964) and the 200 metres freestyle in 1962. [8] [9] [10] [11]
Her older brother is Christopher Wilkinson.
