View source for Jennie Fletcher

{{Short description|British swimmer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name = Jennie Fletcher
| image = Jennie Fletcher c1905.jpg
| image_size = 250
| caption = Jennie Fletcher, c. 1905
| fullname = Jennie Fletcher
| national_team = Great Britain
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1890|3|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Belgrave, Leicester]], England 
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1968|1|17|1890|3|19|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Teeswater, Ontario]], Canada 
| height =
| weight =
| strokes = [[Freestyle swimming|Freestyle]]
| club = Leicester Ladies SC
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's swimming}}
{{MedalCountry | Great Britain}}
{{MedalCompetition  | [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1912 Summer Olympics|1912 Stockholm]] | [[Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[1912 Summer Olympics|1912 Stockholm]] | [[Swimming at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre freestyle|100 m freestyle]]}}
}}

'''Jennie Fletcher''' (19 March 1890 – 17 January 1968), later known by her married name '''Jennie Hyslop''', was a British competitive [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]], Olympic gold medallist, and former world record-holder.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47020 |title=Jennie Fletcher |work=[[Olympedia]] |access-date=7 June 2021}}</ref>  In 1905 she set a new world record in the 100-yard freestyle that stood for seven years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ishof.org/pdf/womeninswimming.pdf |title=Timeline of Women's Swimming History |website=ISHOF.org |publisher=[[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029132705/http://ishof.org/pdf/womeninswimming.pdf |archive-date=29 October 2010 |access-date=}}</ref> She was selected for the 1908 Olympics, but the women's swimming events were cancelled due to a shortage of participants.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/jennie-fletcher/ |title=Jennie Fletcher |website=Swimming.org}}</ref> At the [[1912 Summer Olympics]], she won a gold medal in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the individual 100-metre freestyle race.<ref name=sroprofile>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fl/jennie-fletcher-1.html |title=Jennie Fletcher |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029123431/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fl/jennie-fletcher-1.html |archive-date=29 October 2014 |access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref>  In 1971 she was inducted to the [[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] as an "Honor Swimmer".<ref name=ishofprofile>{{cite web |url=http://www.ishof.org/jennie-fletcher--(gbr).html |title=Jennie Fletcher (GBR) |website=ISHOF.org |publisher=[[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] |access-date=17 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112700/http://www.ishof.org/jennie-fletcher--(gbr).html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Fletcher was born in an underprivileged family of 11 siblings and had to combine swimming with daily 12-hour work.<ref name=ishofprofile/>  In 1913, she began teaching swimming in Leicester, which ended her competitive career as she turned from an amateur into a professional. In 1917, she married and immigrated to Canada, where she gave birth to a daughter and five sons.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/4094515.stm  Champion swimmer finally honoured]", BBC.com (14 December 2004). Retrieved 17 March 2015.</ref><ref>"[http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Leicester-s-Olympian-honoured-100-years-triumph/story-15609788-detail/story.html Leicester's Olympian honoured . . . 100 years after her triumph]", ''Leicester Mercury'' (24 March 2012). Retrieved 17 March 2015.</ref>

[[File:Belle Moore, Jennie Fletcher, Annie Speirs, Irene Steer 1912.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|[[Belle Moore]], Jennie Fletcher, [[Annie Speirs]], and [[Irene Steer]] at the 1912 Olympics]]
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==See also==
* [[List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame]]
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{sports links}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Women}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Jennie}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1968 deaths]]
[[Category:British female freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:British female water polo players]]
[[Category:English female water polo players]]
[[Category:English Olympic competitors]]
[[Category:Olympic swimmers for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1912 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World record setters in swimming]]
[[Category:English emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:People from Belgrave, Leicester]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Leicester]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportswomen]]