Denise Laborie-Guénard

An all-around athlete, Denise Laborie-Guénard competed at three Olympics from 1952-64. Her major international medal was a silver she won in the pentathlon at the 1962 European Championships. She also competed at the Europeans in the high hurdles in 1954 and the pentathlon in 1966. Laborie-Guénard earned 47 international caps and won 20 French Championships. She was 80 metre hurdles champion in 1954-55, 1960-62, and 1965; high jump champion in 1953 and 1964; long jump champion in 1965-66; discus champion in 1959; and pentathlon champion in 1953-54, 1961, and 1964-68.

After retiring from competition in the later 1960s, Laborie-Guénard became a professor of physical education. She also joined the French International Athletics Group (GIFA), of which she became a leading administrator. Her husband was Jacques Guénard, a top javelin thrower, and their son, Philippe, competed for French youth teams in decathlon.

Personal Bests: 100 – 11.7 (1963); 80H – 10.8 (1965); Pen – 4735 (1962).