Eileen Crockart

Eileen Crockart (born c. 1910s) was a South African track and field athlete specialized in the field events. She was also a swimmer. She represented South Africa internationally in athletics. She was one of the earliest people to raise the gender identity issue in women’s athletics.

Career
As a swimmer, Crockart competed at the 1928 South African Swimming Championships in Johannesburg.

As a track and field athlete, Crockart competed in the field events at the 1934 Women's World Games in London. She was most successfull in the shot put event where she finished in sixth place in the final.

Gender identity debate
In the era that Crockett was active, women’s athletics was raising and had to deal to deal with gender identity problems. Many women of that era later turned out to be man. Crockart was one of the earliest people to openly raise the issue. She stated that “quite a few women athletes had strong hair like men and had to shave daily”. She added her human trust but disbelief with “we satisfied ourselves that they were female all right, but in every other respect, I would call them more man than woman”. Mr. B.C. Sims, manager of the South African team, complained about it. The German media replied to the allegation with “grotesque slander”. Canadian women laughed about it.

References

Category:Year of birth missing
Category:Year of death missing
Category:Shot putters
Category:South African athletes
Category:South African swimmers
Category:1910s births