Kathy Rowlatt

Despite reaching the Olympic springboard final in 1968, the highlight of Kathy Rowlatt´s diving career came two years earlier at the British Commonwealth games at Kingston, Jamaica, when she led all the way to win the 3-metre springboard gold medal. Weeks after that triumph she finished a disappointing tenth in the European Championships at Utrecht. Rowlatt had finished sixth in the 1965 European Diving Cup at Salzburg the previous year.

Rowlatt started diving at the Leyton Swimming club in the winter of 1959/60 and aged 13 finished second in the ASA girls diving championship. The following year she won a bronze medal at the National Schools Swimming and Diving Championships, and was the Essex senior springboard champion. Rowlatt won the senior ASA springboard title three times in 1964, 1967, and 1968, when her younger sister Susan was runner-up. Kathy was also runner-up in 1965.

Rowlatt might also have won a medal in 1963 but withdrew from the competition after a harrowing experience the night before she was due to compete. Rowlatt and Margaret Austen of Isleworth rescued two fellow divers, Chris Walls and Paul Critchley, from possible drowning after falling into the sea at Blackpool. The experience was too much for them to take part despite the authorities delaying the event by a day. By profession Rowlatt was an East London clerk/typist.