Linda Ludgrove
English swimmer (born 1947)

Linda Ludgrove
European Championships 100 m backstroke 1966:
Linda Ludgrove, Christine Caron, Cristina Balaban
Personal information
Born (1947-09-08) 8 September 1947 (age 78)
Greenwich, London, England
Height1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)
Weight61 kg (134 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
ClubBeckenham Ladies Swimming Club
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1966 Utrecht 100 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 1962 Leipzig 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 1966 Utrecht 4×100 m medley
Representing  England
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1962 Perth 110 yd backstroke
Gold medal – first place 1962 Perth 220 yd backstroke
Gold medal – first place 1966 Kingston 110 yd backstroke
Gold medal – first place 1966 Kingston 220 yd backstroke
Gold medal – first place 1966 Kingston 4×110 yd medley
Silver medal – second place 1962 Perth 4×110 yd medley

Linda Kay Ludgrove (born 8 September 1947) is a retired backstroke Swimmer from England.[1] who held seven world records.

Biography

Ludgrove was born to William and Gladys Ludgrove; she has a brother, Terence.[2] Raised in Sydenham, Ludgrove won individual gold medals at 110 yards backstroke and 220 yards backstroke at the 1962 Commonwealth Games. As part of the English team she won silver in the 1962 4×110 yards medley relay.[3] She finished third in the 1962 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.[4]

She competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the 4×100 m medley relay and the 100 m backstroke and finished fifth and sixth, respectively.[1] She won three medals at the 1962 and 1966 European Championships.[5]

Ludgrove represented the England team[6] at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica,[7] where she won three gold medals in the swimming events.[8] At the Games, the four of Ludgrove, Diana Harris, Judy Gegan and Pauline Sillett set a world record in winning the 4 x 110 yards medley relay, with a time of 4 mins, 46 secs.[9]

At the ASA National British Championships she won the 110 yards backstroke title five times (1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967) and the 220 yards backstroke title three times (1964, 1966, 1967).[10][11][12][13][14]

She retired from swimming in 1967. After marriage she changed her last name to Lillo.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Linda Ludgrove. sports-reference.com
  2. ^ Mr W. Ludgrove's Story. bbc.co.uk (15 December 2005)
  3. ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  4. ^ Sports Personality Of The Year. bbc.co.uk
  5. ^ Linda LUDGROVE. les-sports.info
  6. ^ "West girls in Empire games swim team". Western Daily Press. 20 June 1966. p. 10. Retrieved 13 December 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "1966 Athletes". Team England. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  8. ^ "England Kingston 1966". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  9. ^ "England's Golden Girls Lift". Wolverhampton Express and Star. 9 August 1966. p. 31. Retrieved 10 December 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ ""Backstroke Record Equalled." Times, 14 Sept. 1962, p. 5". Times Digital Archive.[dead link]
  11. ^ "From Our Swimming Correspondent. "Swimming Championships." Times, 30 Aug. 1963, p. 4". Times Digital Archive.[dead link]
  12. ^ "From Our Swimming Correspondent. "Meagre Swimming Team For Tokyo." Times, 24 Aug. 1964, p. 3". Times Digital Archive.[dead link]
  13. ^ ""McGregor's Record." Times, 12 Sept. 1966, p. 6". Times Digital Archive.[dead link]
  14. ^ ""Four new caps." Times, 14 Aug. 1967, p. 12". Times Digital Archive.[dead link]
  • Lewisham Council, Lewisham born athletes[dead link]
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