caption event death_date death_place birth_place pb sport birth_date image article_title
thelma kench at the 1932 olympics 100 m 25 march 1985 -lrb- aged 98 -rrb- wellington , new zealand palmerston north , new zealand 100 m -- 12.4 -lrb- 1930 -rrb- athletics 19 february 1914 thelma kench 1932.jpg thelma kench

thelma kench

thelma kench later irion -lrb- 19 february 1914 -- 25 march 1985 -rrb- was a new zealand sprinter who competed at the 1932 summer olympics .
she competed in the 100 m and held the national title in 1930 -- 1932 .
her time equalled the world record , and she was at 16 the youngest to hold the title .
she was described as `` nuggetty with massive legs '' .
her selection had some drama .
the new zealand amateur athletic association -lrb- nzaaa -rrb- selectors recommended three athletes for the 1932 olympics , but because of the extra cost of a chaperone none were women .
the nzaaa decided to nominate her , but as the new zealand olympic & commonwealth games association -lrb- nzocga -rrb- only had funds to send three , the fourth would be sent at the expense of the nzaaa .
so the wellington branch of the nzaaa raised # 120 for her , although the otago branch could not raise # 50 for jack lovelock .
in the olympic semifinals of the 100 m race in los angeles she was third after 50 m but dropped back to sixth .
she was born in palmerston north , and moved to wanganui .
she retired from running at 19 in 1933 .
she married john irion in 1940 , and subsequently lived in wellington .
