Marlene Mathews-Willard

Marlene Mathews took up track athletics at a young age and began gaining attention for her talent in the late 1940s. She won her first national title, in the 4x110 yards relay, in 1950, where she was also fourth in the 80 metres hurdles. She would repeat that relay victory in 1954 and 1956. A leg injury caused her to miss the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, and a different one led to pull out of the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. In the latter year, she had been second in the 100 yards and third in the 220 yards at the national championships. In 1956, she made the Olympic team after coming in third in the 100 yards and second in the 220 yards at the nationals. In Melbourne, she won bronze medals in the 100 and 200 metres, both times behind her compatriot Betty Cuthbert and German Christa Stubnick. She was also a reserve with the gold medal-winning 4x100 metres relay team, but did not compete.

In 1958 Mathews married Barry Willard and began competing under that new surname, winning her only individual national titles in the 100 and 220 yards that year. She went on to capture those titles at the 1958 Commonwealth Games, in addition to taking silver with the 4x110 yards relay. She made her final Australian podium finish in 1960, with third in the 100 yards, which was enough to be selected for that year’s Rome Olympics. There, she was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 100 metres and round one of the 4x100 metres relay, alongside Norma Thrower, Norma Croker-Fleming, and Pat Duggan.

Following her retirement from active competition, Mathews served her sport in numerous roles, most notably as part of Australia’s administrative delegation to the 1972 Munich Olympics. She was inducted into the Sport Australia and Athletics Australia Halls of Fame in 1985 and 2010 respectively, and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her services to sport in 1999.

Personal Bests: 100 – 11.5 (1956); 200 – 23.54y (1958).