Hilda Smith

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexFemale
Full nameHilda•Smith (-Williams)
Used nameHilda•Smith
Born30 September 1909 in Leigh, England (GBR)
Died22 January 1995 in Leigh, England (GBR)
AffiliationsLeigh Gymnastics Club, Leigh (GBR)
NOC Great Britain
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 0
Bronze 1
Total 1

Biography

Hilda Smith was one of two members of the inaugural British women’s Olympic gymnastics squad at Amsterdam in 1928 born in Leigh, Greater Manchester. The other was Ada Smith who, like Hilda was a member the Leigh Gymnastics Club and trained at the Marsh Gymnasium in Leigh yet, despite all the similarities, the pair were not related.

Hilda Smith was seven weeks short of her 19th birthday when she won a team bronze medal at the Amsterdam Games. The next time a female British gymnast would stand on an Olympic podium would be in 2012, when Beth Tweddle won the uneven bars bronze medal. Smith’s finest performance as an individual was in finishing second to Jessie Greenwood at the 1931 national championship at Liverpool.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1928 Summer Olympics Artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) GBR Hilda Smith
Team All-Around, Women (Olympic) Great Britain 3 Bronze