Doris Strachan

Doris Louisa Aikenhead (née Strachan, 13 January 1917 – 12 November 1974) was a New Zealand track and field athlete who represented her country at the 1938 British Empire Games.

Doris Aikenhead
Personal information
Birth nameDoris Louisa Strachan
Born(1917-01-13)13 January 1917
Timaru, New Zealand
Died12 November 1974(1974-11-12) (aged 57)
Spouse(s)Andrew Aikenhead
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportAthletics

Early life and family

Born Doris Louisa Strachan in Timaru on 13 January 1917, Aikenhead was the daughter of Julia McInnes Strachan (née Crisp) and James Dunn Strachan.[1] She went on to marry Andrew Aikenhead.

Athletics

At an athletics meeting at Temuka on 30 November 1935, Strachan broke the New Zealand national women's long jump record, recording a distance of 17 ft 1+1⁄2 in (5.22 m).[2]

At the trials held in Wellington in December 1937 for the New Zealand team to travel to the 1938 British Empire Games, Strachan's winning distance in the long jump was 17 ft 7+1⁄4 in (5.37 m),[3] and she was duly selected for the team. At the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, she was eliminated in the heats of the women's 100 yards and 220 yards sprints, and finished sixth in the women's long jump with a best leap of 17 ft 3⁄4 in (5.20 m).[4][5] She was also a member of the New Zealand trio that finished fourth in the women's 440 yards relay.[6]

Death

Aikenhead died on 12 November 1974,[7] and she was buried at Oamaru Lawn Cemetery.[8]

References
  1. "Birth search: registration number 1917/1896". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs.
  2. "Long jump record". Evening Post. 2 December 1935. p. 19. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  3. "Empire Games: trials in Wellington". New Zealand Herald. 13 December 1937. p. 15. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  4. "Doris Strachan". New Zealand Olympic Committee. 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  5. "Sensational race". New Zealand Herald. 15 February 1938. p. 17. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  6. "Track events". New Zealand Herald. 8 February 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  7. "Death search: registration number 1974/44818". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  8. "Cemetery search". Waitaki District Council. Retrieved 1 July 2017.



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