{{short description|British athlete}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Use British English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Bertha Crowther<br>née Piggott | image = | caption = | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = {{birth date|1921|12|9|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Hendon]], England | death_date = {{death date and age|2007|8|8|1921|12|9|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Cheshire]], England | height =174 cm | weight =63 kg | sport = Track and field | event = 80 metres hurdles / high jump | club = [[Middlesex Ladies]] | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]]}} {{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }} {{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games|British Empire Games]]}} {{MedalSilver| [[1950 British Empire Games|1950 Auckland]]|[[Athletics at the 1950 British Empire Games|high jump]]}} {{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}} {{MedalCompetition|[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]}} {{MedalSilver|[[1950 European Athletics Championships|1950 Brussels]]|[[1950 European Athletics Championships – Women's pentathlon|Pentathlon]]}} }}
'''Bertha Crowther''', née '''Bertha Piggott''', (9 December 1921 – 8 August 2007) was a British athlete<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19197151|title='My mum competed in the 1948 Olympics'|publisher=BBC}}</ref> who competed at the [[1948 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cr/bertha-crowther-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418035832/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cr/bertha-crowther-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Bertha Crowther Olympic Results |access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.playingpasts.co.uk/articles/gender-and-sport/in-leaps-and-bounds-bertha-crowther-gbs-first-pentathlon-champion/ |title=In Leaps and Bounds Bertha Crowther: GB's First Pentathlon Champion |work=Playing Pasts |access-date=9 May 2022}}</ref>
== Biography == Crowther became the [[List of British champions in sprint hurdles|national 80 metres hurdles champion]] after winning the British [[WAAA Championships]] title at the [[1946 WAAA Championships]]. She also finished third behind [[Dora Gardner]] in the high jump event.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19460715/054/0003 |title=Women's Titles Change Hands |work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=15 July 1946 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 January 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=26 January 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=26 January 2025 }}</ref>
Crowther finished second behind [[Dorothy Tyler]] in the high jump event and third behind [[Maureen Gardner]] in the 80 metres hurdles event at the [[1948 WAAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003359/19480627/096/0006 |title=Mrs Jordan keeps title |work=Weekly Dispatch (London) |date=27 June 1948 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription | access-date=2 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=2 February 2025}}</ref>
Shortly afterwards, representing [[Great Britain at the 1948 Summer Olympics|Great Britain]] at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, she competed in the [[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Women's 80 metres hurdles|women's 80 metres hurdles]] competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68637 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=26 January 2025}}</ref>
Crowther showcased her all round ability by becoming the inaugural [[List of British champions in decathlon/heptathlon|national pentathlon champion]] at the [[1949 WAAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004941/19490710/354/0010 |title=Girl clips shot record on her honeymoon |work=Sunday Express |date=10 July 1949 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=14 February 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19490711/124/0011 |title=June 15 wins a record birthday gift |work=Daily Mirror |date=11 July 1949 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=14 February 2025 }}</ref> She successfully retained her title the following year at the [[1950 WAAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=2 February 2025 }}</ref>
She represented [[England at the 1950 British Empire Games|England]] and won a silver medal in the high jump at the [[1950 British Empire Games]] in [[Auckland]], New Zealand. She also competed in the javelin, long jump and 80 metres hurdles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/40956|title=Athletes and results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=18 July 2019|archive-date=6 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106055206/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/40956|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/auckland-1950/athletes|title=1950 Athletes|publisher=Team England}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowther, Bertha}} [[Category:1921 births]] [[Category:2007 deaths]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:British women hurdlers]] [[Category:English women hurdlers]] [[Category:British women high jumpers]] [[Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain]] [[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1950 British Empire Games]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England]] [[Category:Place of birth missing]] [[Category:Medallists at the 1950 British Empire Games]] [[Category:People from Wembley]] [[Category:Athletes from the London Borough of Brent]] [[Category:English women high jumpers]] [[Category:20th-century English sportswomen]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics]]
{{England-hurdles-athletics-bio-stub}} {{England-highjump-athletics-bio-stub}} {{England-pentathlon-athletics-bio-stub}}