Evelyn de Lacy

When she was 14-years-old Evelyn de Lacy won the 1932 Swim Through Maylands open water event in Perth, Australia. This set De Lacy on the path to become one of the best swimmers in the country in the 1930s, with her coach suggesting she should focus on pool events. The following year she won the Western Australian 100 yards title, setting a state record in the process. In 1935 she became the Australian champion in both the 220 and 440 yards, going on to repeat this the following year.

In 1936 De Lacy became the first woman from Western Australia to be selected to compete at the Olympics when she took part in the Berlin Games. She swam in the 100 and 400 metres freestyle in Berlin, reaching the semi-finals in the former. Her best performances were still to come when she won three medals at the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, including an individual gold in the 110 yards freestyle. De Lacy also won silver in the 4×110 yards freestyle relay with Patricia Norton, Dorothy Green, and Margaret Rawson, and bronze in the 3×110 yards medley relay with Norton and Valerie George. She continued to win multiple state titles with the aim of competing at the 1940 Olympics in Tokyo. After the outbreak of World War II forced the Games to be cancelled, it also brought an end to De Lacy’s international career, with her eventually retiring in 1943 before becoming a coach.