Kathleen Tiffen

Kathleen Tiffen started running for Mitcham AC in her early-teens and a month after her 15th birthday represented the club at the Railwaymen’s Sports Meeting at Stamford Bridge in 1927, and finished third in the 100 yards open handicap race. At 18 she was selected to represent Great Britain in the hurdles at the 1930 Women’s World Games in Praha (Prague) but failed to win a medal. She then represented England at the 1934 British Empire Game, also in the 80 metres hurdles, but was eliminated in the heats, and four years later finished sixth in the same event at the Games in Sydney. Tiffen finished second to Elsie Green when she won her first 80 metres hurdles title at the WAAA Championship at Stamford Bridge in 1931, and was second, again, when Green won her fifth consecutive title at the White City in 1935. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Tiffen qualified for the hurdles semi-finals but finished fifth out of six. Kathleen Tiffen got married in 1939 and very little is known about her athletics career after that.

Personal Best: 80H – 11.8 (1936).