Daphne Arden

A Birmingham typist and secretary, Daphne Arden finished third in both the WAAA 100- and 220 yards in 1961. She made her international début that year and between then and 1966 made 22 appearances for England and Great Britain. Arden was third again in both the 100 and 220 at the 1962 WAAAs and went on to win a bronze medal in the 4x100 metres relay at the European Championships at Beograd. She also thought she had won the 100 metres bronze but, following an appeal by the Poles, a photo finish was called for and Arden was placed fourth. Also in 1962 she won a silver medal in the 4x110 yards relay at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Perth, Australia.

The following year Arden enjoyed one of the highlights of her career when, in a match with the USA at White City, along with Madeleine Cobb, Mary Bignal-Rand, and Dorothy Hyman, she set a new 4x110 yards relay world record of 45.2. Arden enjoyed further success at the WAAAs in 1964 when she won both the 100 and 220 by beating Bignal-Rand and Hyman, respectively, into second place. Her 100 yards win saw her equal the UK record of 10.6 jointly held by Bignal-Rand and Hyman. Arden went to the Tokyo Olympics and reached the 100 metres semi-final and 200 metres final, but finished eighth. She came away from the Games, however, with a bronze medal from the 4x100 relay team made up of herself, Bignal-Rand, Hyman, and Janet Simpson. Arden regained her 100 yards WAAA title in 1966 and between 1962-64 won the WAAA indoor 60 yards title three years in succession. She won it a fourth time in 1966, and all four wins were in the identical time of 7.1 seconds. Arden won a second silver medal with the sprint relay squad at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Kingston, Jamaica in 1966. Having married Roger Slater in the summer of 1965 Arden announced her retirement from competitive athletics in September of the following year, shortly after the Kingston Commonwealth Games. After her retirement, Arden got involved in the newly formed Droitwich Athletics Club, near her West Midlands home.

Personal Bests: 100 – 11.5 (1962); 200 – 23.5y (1964).