Kathleen_Dawson

Kathleen Dawson

Kathleen Dawson

Scottish swimmer

Kathleen Mary Dawson MBE (born 3 October 1997) is a Scottish backstroke swimmer. She won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mixed 4 × 100 metre medley relay in a world record time. She is also the European champion at the 2020 Budapest Championships and holder of the European record in 100 m backstroke (58.08).

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Career

Dawson has represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games since 2014. She represented Great Britain at the 2016 European Aquatics Championships, and won a bronze medal in 100 metre backstroke.[2] She also won a gold in the 4 × 100 metre medley relay.[3]

In May 2021, at the European championships held in Budapest, Dawson won gold in the 100 metres backstroke. As a result of a technical error, she had to swim twice in the final, but won on both occasions.[4] She also won gold in 4x100m medley and mixed medley relay, and silver in 50 m backstroke at the same Championships.[5]

Dawson was named a member of the British team to go to the postponed 2020 Olympics in April 2021. This would be her first Olympics where she would join more experienced Olympians like Aimee Willmott and Molly Renshaw.[6]

At the Tokyo Olympics, Dawson raced in the backstroke lead-off leg of the final of the mixed 4 × 100 metre medley relay, winning gold and setting a world record time of 3 minutes 37.58 seconds together with Adam Peaty, James Guy and Anna Hopkin.[7]

Dawson was announced as an Observatory for Sport in Scotland ambassador, where she helps spotlight the benefits of community sport for all ages and abilities, and she finished 2021 being voted 'Sportswoman of the Year' at the Scottish Women in Sport Awards, held in Glasgow in November, where she pipped fellow nominees Katie Archibald and Laura Muir to the coveted title.

Dawson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to swimming and women in sport.[8][9]

After winning the 100 metres backstroke at the 2024 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, Dawson sealed her place at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[10]

References

  1. [1]
    "Kathleen Dawson". British Swimming. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. [2]
    "Kathleen Dawson". Scottish Swimming.
  3. [3]
    "European Swimming Championships: GB women win medley relay gold". BBC Sports. 22 May 2016.
  4. [4]
    "Kathleen Dawson: British swimmer wins gold in 100 metres backstroke at European Championships". Sky Sports. 22 May 2021.
  5. [5]
    Byrnes, Liz. "FLASH! European Championships: Kathleen Dawson Sets European 100 Back Record Of 58.08". Swimming World Magazine.
  6. [6]
    "'Exceptionally high-quality' team named for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games". Swim England Competitive Swimming Hub. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  7. [7]
    "Tokyo Olympics: Great Britain win 4x100m mixed medley relay gold". BBC Sports. 31 July 2021.
  8. [8]
    "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N18.
  9. [9]
    "New Year Honours 2022: Jason Kenny receives a knighthood and Laura Kenny made a dame". BBC Sport. 31 December 2021.
  10. [10]
    "Speedo Aquatics GB Swimming Championships 2024". Swimming.org. Retrieved 9 April 2024.


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