Jean Stewart (swimmer)

Jean Hurring (née Stewart, 23 December 1930 – 8 August 2020) was a swimmer from New Zealand. She won a bronze medal in the 100 m backstroke at the 1952 Summer Olympics.

Jean Stewart
Stewart in 1954
Personal information
Birth nameJean Stewart
Born(1930-12-23)23 December 1930
Dunedin, New Zealand
Died8 August 2020(2020-08-08) (aged 89)
Auckland, New Zealand
EducationOtago Girls' High School
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1957; died 1993)​
RelativesGary Hurring (son)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportSwimming
Achievements and titles
National finals100 yds backstroke champion (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956)
220 yds backstroke champion (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954)
100 yds butterfly champion (1953)
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  New Zealand
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1952 Helsinki 100 m backstroke
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 1950 Auckland 110 yards backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 1954 Vancouver 110 yards backstroke

Biography

Born in Dunedin in 1930,[1] Stewart was educated at Otago Girls' High School.[2] When she was active as a swimmer, New Zealand had no swimming coach, and Stewart was mentored by Bill Wallace, who she described as an "enthusiast". Wallace had an interest in horse racing and from that, Stewart adopted interval training as an innovation. She had also set up a pulley system in her bedroom for weight training that was specific to swimming.[3] She represented her native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, 1952 and 1956. In 1952 she won the bronze medal in the women's 100 metres backstroke at the Helsinki Games.[4] She shared a room in Helsinki with the only other New Zealand female competitor, Yvette Williams, who was also from Dunedin.[3]

Stewart also won medals in the 110 yards backstroke at the Empire Games; silver in 1950 and bronze in 1954. As of 2016, she remains the only New Zealand woman to have won an Olympic swimming medal.[3]

Stewart won 12 New Zealand national swimming titles: the 100 yards backstroke every year from 1950 to 1956 except 1955; the 220 yards backstroke every year from 1950 to 1954; and the 100 yards butterfly in 1953.[5]

Stewart married fellow Dunedin swimmer Lincoln Hurring after the Helsinki Games, and they settled in Auckland.[6] Their son is world silver medalist swimmer Gary Hurring.[3] As of 2016, Hurring lived in a retirement village in Takapuna on Auckland's North Shore.[3] Her son keeps her Olympic medal.[3]

Stewart is one of eight New Zealand pool swimmers who have been inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame and the only one who did not win a gold medal at either the Olympics or at Commonwealth Games.[7]

Stewart died in Auckland on 8 August 2020 at the age of 89.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Jean Hurring". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  2. McMurran, Alistair (20 November 2009). "Otago Girls High School honours its Olympians". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  3. Rattue, Chris (11 August 2016). "Rio Olympics 2016: Barracking for Boyle". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  4. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jean Stewart". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  5. McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Swimming—national championships". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  6. McMurran, Alistair (29 October 2011). "Greatest moments in Otago sport – Number 13". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  7. McBeth, John (9 July 2013). "Swimming – Great swimmers". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  8. "Jean (Stewart) Hurring death notice". New Zealand Herald. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
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