{{short description|British swimmer (born 1944)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Use British English|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Diana Wilkinson | image = | image_size = <!--Only for images narrower than 220 pixels.--> | caption = | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = 17 March 1944 | birth_place = [[Stockport]], England | death_date = | death_place = | sport = [[Swimming (sport)|Swimming]] | event = [[Freestyle swimming|Freestyle]] | club = Stockport SC | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Swimming}} {{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }} {{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games|British Empire & Commonwealth Games]]}} {{MedalGold| [[1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1958 Cardiff]]|[[Swimming at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|medley relay]]}} {{MedalBronze| [[1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1958 Cardiff]]|[[Swimming at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|freestyle relay]]}} {{MedalSilver| [[1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1962 Perth]]|[[Swimming at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|medley relay]]}} {{MedalBronze| [[1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1962 Perth]]|[[Swimming at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|freestyle relay]]}} {{MedalBronze| [[1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1966 Kingston]]|[[Swimming at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|freestyle relay]]}} {{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }} {{MedalCompetition|[[LEN European Aquatics Championships|European Championships]]}} {{MedalSilver| [[1958 European Aquatics Championships|1958 Budapest]] | 4×100m freestyle}} {{MedalBronze| [[1958 European Aquatics Championships|1958 Budapest]] | 4×100m medley}} {{MedalSilver| [[1962 European Aquatics Championships|1962 Leipzig]] | 4×100m freestyle}} {{MedalSilver| [[1962 European Aquatics Championships|1962 Leipzig]] | 100m freestyle}} {{MedalBronze| [[1962 European Aquatics Championships|1962 Leipzig]] | 4×100m medley}} }}
'''Diana Elizabeth Wilkinson''' married name '''Bishop''' (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 European Aquatics Championships|1958]] and [[1962 European Aquatics Championships]], and the [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960]] and [[1964 Summer Olympics]].
== Biography == She won five medals at the [[1958 European Aquatics Championships|1958]] and [[1962 European Aquatics Championships]].<ref>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/sport/swimecw.htm EUROPEAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (WOMEN)]. gbrathletics.com</ref> She also participated in the [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960]] and [[1964 Summer Olympics]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418035914/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wi/diana-wilkinson-1.html Pauline Sillett]. sports-reference.com</ref>
Wilkinson was just 16 years old when she represented Great Britain at the [[1960 Summer Olympics]] in the [[Swimming at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre freestyle|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 [[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre freestyle|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 [[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4 × 100 metre freestyle relay]] team which finished last in there heat and didn't advance to the final.<ref>{{cite web |title=Diana Wilkinson |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wi/diana-wilkinson-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418035914/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wi/diana-wilkinson-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |website=Sports-Reference.com |accessdate=25 April 2020}}</ref>
She competed in four Commonwealth Games winning five medals. In May 1958 she took part in the Empire Games trials in Blackpool<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19580528/105/0011 |title=Sykes and Symonds chosen for trials |work=Coventry Evening Telegraph |p=11 |date=28 May 1958 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=16 October 2025}}</ref> and subsequently represented the [[England at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|English team]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3034/71/all |title=Wales Cardiff 1958 |website=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=16 October 2025 |archive-date=15 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115055851/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3034/71/all |url-status=dead }}</ref> at the [[1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]] in Cardiff, Wales. She competed in the [[Aquatics at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|110 & 440 yards freestyle events]] and helped England claim the gold medal in the final of the [[Aquatics at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|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 [[Aquatics at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|women's 4 x 110 yards freestyle]], with [[Beryl Noakes]], [[Judy Grinham]] and [[Anne Marshall (swimmer)|Anne Marshall]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/cardiff-1958/athletes|title=1958 Athletes|publisher=Team England}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/54428|title=Athletes and results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=29 July 2019|archive-date=29 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729122404/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/54428|url-status=dead}}</ref>
She is a four times winner of the [[British Swimming Championships - 100 metres freestyle winners|British Championship]] in 100 metres freestyle (1961-1964) and the [[British Swimming Championships - 200 metres freestyle winners|200 metres freestyle]] in 1962.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS67592484/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=7e2406ce|title=From a Swimming Correspondent. "Swimmers Give Promise Of Even Greater Things." Times, 4 Sept. 1961, p. 4|publisher=Times Digital Archive}}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS67461937/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=bf72891f|title="Strong British Challenge To Australian Swimmers." Times, 17 Sept. 1962, p. 4|publisher=Times Digital Archive}}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS50685218/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=f983741d|title=From Our Swimming Correspondent. "World's Fastest Can Swim Faster Still." Times, 2 Sept. 1963, p. 3|publisher=Times Digital Archive}}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS50554648/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=15c913a9|title=From Our Swimming Correspondent. "Meagre Swimming Team For Tokyo." Times, 24 Aug. 1964, p. 3|publisher=Times Digital Archive}}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
== Family == Her older brother is [[Christopher Wilkinson (swimmer)|Christopher Wilkinson]].
==See also== * [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson, Diana}} [[Category:1944 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Swimmers at the 1960 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Swimmers at the 1964 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:British female freestyle swimmers]] [[Category:Olympic swimmers for Great Britain]] [[Category:European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in swimming]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in swimming]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England]] [[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in swimming]] [[Category:Summer World University Games medalists in swimming]] [[Category:Swimmers at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:Swimmers at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:Swimmers at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:FISU World University Games silver medalists for Great Britain]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1965 Summer Universiade]] [[Category:Medallists at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:Medallists at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:Medallists at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Stockport]] [[Category:English female freestyle swimmers]] [[Category:20th-century English sportswomen]]