View source for Myrtle Cook

{{Short description|Canadian sprinter (1902–1985)}}
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{{MedalSport | Women's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
Competitor for {{flagicon|CAN|1921}} [[Canada]]
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1928 Summer Olympics|1928 Amsterdam]] | [[Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
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[[File:Myrtle Cook of Canada (left) winning a preliminary heat in the womens 100 metres race at the VIIIth Summer Olympic Games.jpg|thumb|Cook (left, #675), winning in a preliminary heat in the women's 100 m race against [[Norma Wilson]] of New Zealand and Bets ter Horst of Netherlands on July 30, 1928, at the 1928 Summer Olympic Games.]]

'''Myrtle Alice Cook''' (also competed as '''Myrtle McGowan''') (January 5, 1902{{spnd}}March 18, 1985) was a Canadian [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]] who won the gold medal in the women's 4 × 100 metres at the [[1928 Summer Olympics]].

==Career==
Born in [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]], she competed for Canada at the [[1928 Summer Olympics]] held in [[Amsterdam]], [[Netherlands]] where she won the gold medal in the women's 4 × 100 metres with her teammates [[Fanny Rosenfeld]] (also 100 m silver medallist), [[Ethel Smith (athlete)|Ethel Smith]] (100 m bronze medallist) and [[Jane Bell (athlete)|Jane Bell]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Myrtle Cook {{!}} CWRC/CSEC |url=https://cwrc.ca/islandora/object/ceww:2b6aa5fe-d29f-4bbe-821f-7e3dda383c58 |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=cwrc.ca}}</ref>

In 1929, Cook began a career writing for the ''[[Montreal Star]]'', where she contributed the column "In the Women's Spotlight" for the next 40 years.<ref name=":0" />

Cook was involved in [[ice hockey]] and served as president of the [[Dominion Women's Amateur Hockey Association]] prior to 1937.<ref>{{cite news|title='Pegger May Head Ladies' Hockey Body|date=January 4, 1940|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|location=Winnipeg, Manitoba|page=13|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-jan-04-1940-2489858/}}{{free access}}</ref>

Cook equalled [[Betty Robinson]]'s [[World record progression 100 metres women|Women's 100 m World Record]] on August 1, 1931.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Cook contributed significantly to women's sports in Canada, helping to establish the Toronto Ladies Athletic Club, serving as director of athletics for the Canadian Ladies Athletic Club, and founding a branch of that club in Montreal.<ref name=":0" /> During the Second World War, she was active in fundraising and assisted in training military recruits.<ref name=":0" /> She died in [[Elora, Ontario]] on March 18, 1985.<ref name=":0" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070117141337/http://www.collectionscanada.ca/women/002026-225-e.html Library and Archives Canada: Myrtle Cook]

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Women}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Myrtle}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1928 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Canadian female sprinters]]
[[Category:Canadian people of British descent]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1928 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic female sprinters]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for Canada]]
[[Category:People from Old Toronto]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Toronto]]
[[Category:World record setters in athletics (track and field)]]


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