Ellen King

Ellen Elizabeth King (16 January 1909 – 3 February 1994) was a Scottish competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain twice in the Olympics, and Scotland at the inaugural British Empire Games. King was a versatile swimmer, and competed in various backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle swimming events. As a 15-year-old at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, although ill, she competed in the semi-finals of the 100-metre backstroke and finished with the seventh best time overall. At 15, she was the youngest member of the British team. Four years later at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, King won two silver medals. She won the first medal as a member of the British women's team in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay, together with her teammates Joyce Cooper, Cissie Stewart and Iris Tanner, coming second behind the American women. In individual competition, she won her second silver in the 100-metre backstroke, finishing second behind Dutch swimmer Marie Braun and ahead of British teammate Joyce Cooper. King had set a new world record in her semi-final heat, only to have it broken by Braun in her own qualifying heat. In the late 1920s King set the world records in the 150-yard and 220-yard breaststroke.