Emelyn Whiton
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Emelyn Thatcher•Whiton (Leonard-, -Righter) |
| Used name | Emelyn•Whiton |
| Born | 1 March 1916 in New York, New York (USA) |
| Died | 1 March 1962 (aged 46 years) in Jamaica Bay, New York, New York (USA) |
| NOC |  United States |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 1 |
| Silver | 0 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 1 |
Biography
Emelyn Whiton won a gold medal in sailing at the 1952 Olympics when she served as a crew member for her husband, Herman Whiton, aboard the Llanoria in the 6-metre class. Emelyn married Herman in 1939, but they divorced in 1957, although she re-married Brewster Righter in 1958. On 1 March 1962, her 46th birthday, Whiton boarded American Airline Flight #1 flying from Idlewild (now JFK) Airport in New York to Los Angeles. Two minutes after take-off the plane crashed into a swamp, killing all 87 occupants aboard, including Emelyn Whiton.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 Summer Olympics | Sailing | USA |
Emelyn Whiton | |||
| 6 metres, Open (Olympic) | Llanoria | 1 | Gold |
Olympic family relations
- Wife of Herman Whiton
List mentions
- Listed in Olympians Who Died in Aviation Crashes (A Boeing 707 of American Airlines (Flight 1) crashed shortly after the start from New York International (Idlewild) Airport (later John F. Kennedy International Airport) after a short circuit, killing all 95.)