Linda Knowles

Essex high-jumper Linda Knowles won the first of six English schools titles in 1960 when she was the junior champion. She went on to win the senior schools title in 1964 and 1965. Knowles won her only senior outdoor WAAA title in 1967, having been runner-up in 1963 (to Iolanda Balas), 1964, and 1965. Knowles also won the WAAA indoor title in 1963 and 1967.

On the international stage, Knowles won a bronze medal at the 1962 European Championships at Beograd (Belgrade) and at that year´s British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Perth, Australia, Knowles was the highest placed of the three English women, in fourth place, behind the three Australian medallists. At both the 1967 Summer Universiade at Tokyo and European Indoor Championships at Praha (Prague) Knowles won two silver medals. Unfortunately, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics she only cleared 1.60 and was classified 22nd.

Knowles went to live in Sweden in 1968 with her then boyfriend, the Swedish decathlete Lennart Hedmark. They married later that year, and in 1971, just days before she obtained her Swedish citizenship, Knowles became the first British girl to jump six feet when she cleared 1.83 at Gimo, Sweden. Knowles subsequently represented Sweden at international level and was the Swedish high jump champion three times in 1970-71 and 1973. Originally a bank clerk, she qualified as a teacher from the Chelsea College of Physical Education at Eastbourne and later taught at a British school in Sweden.

Personal Best: HJ – 1.83 (1971).