Jane Hughes (swimmer)

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FullnameJane Marrian Hughes
NationalityCanadian
Born (1948-06-30) 30 June 1948 (age 77)
Spouse
Alfred Douglas Rogers (m.1964)
Jane Hughes
Personal information
Full nameJane Marrian Hughes
NationalityCanadian
Born (1948-06-30) 30 June 1948 (age 77)
Spouse
Alfred Douglas Rogers (m.1964)
Children4
Sport
SportSwimming
Event(s)
400, 800 meter freestyle
880-yd freestyle WR
StrokesFreestyle
Individual Medley
ClubVancouver Canadian Dolphins
CoachHoward Firby (Dolphins)
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  Canada
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place1966 Kingston4×110 yd freestyle
Bronze medal – third place1966 Kingston440 yd medley

Jane Marrian Hughes (born June 30, 1948) is a Canadian former swimmer and world record holder who competed for the Vancouver Canadian Dolphins Swim Club and represented Canada in two swimming events at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1964, she set a world record in the 880 yard freestyle distance, becoming only the third Canadian swimmer to set a world record recognized by the World Swimming Federation.[2][1]

Hughes was born June 30, 1948, in Vancouver, British Columbia. She attended Point Grey Secondary School,[1][3] and by 14 swam for the Canadian Dolphin Swim Club, coached by Hall of Fame Coach Howard Firby.[4] Firby founded the Canadian Dolphins with Canadian Olympic medalist Mary Stewart's father William in 1955, and coached the highly competitive program from 1955 to 1967, winning six successive Canadian Team national championships during his coaching tenure, with the exception of the year 1965. The National championships included several of Hughes's years with the Dolphin Club. Skilled in the study of anatomy and aerodynamics, Harold Firby made an involved study of the freestyle stroke, attempting to improve his swimmers's positioning and technique, and passed his knowledge to Hughes. He was also particularly skilled in coaching non-freestyle strokes, which contributed to Hughes' success competing in the Individual Medley where she held a 400-meter Canadian record.[5][6][7]

World and Canadian records

Hughes distinguished herself in her youth by setting a new world record in the 880-yard freestyle in 1964 with a time of 9:57.1. She broke the former mark finishing 14.3 seconds ahead of the standing six year record of 10:11.4 set by Ilsa Konrads of Australia in 1959.[3]

She broke the World record in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of on July 9, 1965, with a time of 19:19.8 at the Northwest AAU Championships in Tacoma.[8]

Swimming in a time trial at the Hollyburn Country Club in preparation for the 1964 Canadian Olympic trials, Hughes set a Canadian 800-meter record with a time of 10:04.5, the third fastest in the world that year.[9] She was the first Canadian woman to swim the 400 meter freestyle in a time under 5 minutes, with a 4:56.7.[10] She set a Canadian record time of 5:34.3 in the women's 400-metre Individual Medley at the Hollyburn Country Club Senior Invitational Meet on February 26, 1966, helping her Dolphins team to win the meet.[11]

Hughes was a member of the Canadian national team from 1964 to 1967.[1] At the 1966 British Empire/Commonwealth games in Kingston, she won a gold medal in the 4×110 yards freestyle, and a bronze in the 440 yard medley.[12]

As part of the Canadian team on February 21, 1967, she competed in a meet in Durban, South Africa, scoring the most meet points by taking three firsts with times of 1:13.8 in the 110-yard butterfly, 2:21.3 in the 220-yard freestyle, and 2:42.3 in the 220-yard Individual Medley.[13]

Marriage

1964 Tokyo Olympics

References

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