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Sharron Davies

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For other people with similar names, see Sharon Davis (disambiguation).
Sharron Davies
MBE
Personal information
Full nameSharron Elizabeth Davies
National teamGreat Britain
Born (1962-11-01) 1 November 1962 (age 61)
Plymouth, Devon, UK
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight10 st 6 lb (66 kg)
Websitesharrondavies.com
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, individual medley
ClubPortsmouth Northsea Swimming Club
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1980 Moscow 400 m medley
European Championships (LC)
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Jönköping 400 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Jönköping 4×100 m freestyle
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton 200 m medley
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton 400 m medley
Silver medal – second place 1978 Edmonton 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1990 Auckland 4×200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1978 Edmonton 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 1990 Auckland 4×100 m freestyle

Sharron Elizabeth Davies, MBE (born 1 November 1962) is an English former competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in the Olympics and European championships[1] and competed for England in the Commonwealth Games. Davies has attended 12 consecutive Olympic Games, competing in three games[2] and then working in the media for the BBC Sport.

She competed in three Olympic Games[2] over three decades, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. She also competed in the international community spanning over 20 years.

Since retiring from the sport, she has worked for various media organisations and programmes. In 2005, Davies supported the British Olympic bid by profile-raising and appearing as spokesperson on BBC's Question Time where she made a strong case for bringing the games to London for 2012. Davies is a current patron of the Disabled Sport England and SportsAid. She was also the face of the Swim for Life charity event which raised total over £10m for many charities. She has publicly expressed her opinions on transgender people in sports.

Early life

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Davies was born in Plymouth, Devon, and grew up in Plymouth and Plymstock. She has twin brothers. She attended Plymstock Comprehensive School and the private school Kelly College, which is now known as Mount Kelly, in Tavistock.[3]

She originally learnt to swim with Devonport Royal Swimming Association. She moved to Port of Plymouth Swimming Association when she was eight and was coached for the first year first by Ray Bickley then by her father Terry Davies who became a coach.[4][5] Her father was never selected as an international coach because he spoke out about East German cheating. He was added in 2021 to the Coaches Association Hall of Fame.[5]

Swimming

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She set a record by swimming for the British national team at the age of 11. In 1976, at age 13, Davies was selected to represent Great Britain at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. The next year she won two bronze medals in the 1977 European Championships. The following year, at age 15, she won gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in the 200 and 400-metre individual medleys and also a silver and a bronze medal.[6]

In the 1980 Olympics, Davies took the silver medal in the 400 m individual medley behind Petra Schneider from East Germany, who later admitted that the victory was drug enhanced.[7]

At 18, Davies called time on the first stage of her swimming career to build her television profile and a career in modelling. In 1989, and training at Bracknell & Wokingham Swimming Club, she returned to the pool, where she picked up two more medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.[6][failed verification]

Medals and awards

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Davies has broken or re broken many British records whilst competing and winning[8][9] For medals table, see Medal record.

Davies held the Commonwealth Record for 400-metre individual medley for 18 years. She has broken five World Masters records.[9]

In the latest development in the story of the East German state-run doping programme, The Times broke the news in 2021 of a possibility that the bronze and silver medals won may be upgraded to gold.[13]

At the ASA National British Championships she won 22 titles – the 100 metres freestyle title in 1978, 200 metres freestyle title in 1977 and 1978, 400 metres freestyle title in 1977, 1978 and 1979, 800 metres freestyle title in 1978, 200 metres backstroke title in 1976, 1977 and 1978, 200 metres medley title in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1989 and 1992, 400 metres medley title in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 and the 50 metres butterfly title in 1992.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

In the 1993 New Year Honours, Davies was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire "for services to swimming".[21]

Politics and activism

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Davies is a supporter of the Conservative Party and endorsed Kemi Badenoch in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.[22]

Davies is known for her views on gender identity and trans rights, and has been associated with the gender-critical movement. She has expressed concerns about the impact of self-identification on women's sport and spaces, arguing that it may disadvantage cisgender women. These views have generated significant debate and controversy.

In 2019, Davies made comments about participation by trans women in women's sport, opposing such participation and saying that trans women hold a biological advantage in sports.[23] She became involved in the question of trans women in sport because at the 1980 Olympics she lost out on gold to Petra Schneider who, along with other East German athletes, had been put on testosterone to enhance their performances through doping.[24]

In a tweet posted on 21 December 2019, Davies expressed her disapproval of drag shows, comparing them to blackface.[25][better source needed] The statement drew criticism with some commentators finding her comparison to blackface inappropriate and disrespectful of the fight against racism.[26] In response to the criticism, Davies clarified that her comment was not intended to be understood as racist.

In 2022, Davies said that trans women hold a potential biological male performance advantage at the elite level of 10–20% over cisgender women and called for women's sport to exclude XY chromosome athletes.[27] In March, she wrote a column for The Times arguing that trans women's advantage is the result of going through male puberty, resulting in a narrower angle between the hips and knees which testosterone reduction does not eliminate, and called for trans women to compete in an open category rather than being excluded from competition entirely.[28] In the same article, she stated: "This month we saw an athlete, Lia Thomas, who was an average club swimmer as a man claim an NCAA title as the US No 1 woman with 20 years of male development in the tank."[28]

In her 2023 book, Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport, Davies argues against the inclusion of trans women in women's sport.[29] Davies compares trans women competing in women's sport to the drug-enhanced performances of GDR women that competed against her and other women, like Ann Osgerby.[30] In September 2023, Davies was reported to be leading a campaign aiming to question Members of Parliament (MPs) on camera about their understanding of the term "woman" and publishing their responses online.[31] The "What Is A Woman?" campaign claims that its volunteers are trained to approach MPs, seeking clarification of their positions on camera.[32][better source needed]

In 2023, Davies criticised and called for a boycott of sportswear brand Nike after Dylan Mulvaney, a trans woman, promoted a Nike sports bra on social media.[33]

In 2024, Davies suggested that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting, who have both competed as women throughout their career, were competing unfairly and that they are male.[34] She suggested that those who lost to the two boxers in the 2024 Summer Olympics should challenge their defeats and pursue legal action.[35] The International Olympic Committee rejected these claims, stating that the two boxers were both women.[34]

Publications, media programmes and other work

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Sharron Davies in the 1983 series The Optimist
Bronze statue of a mermaid, modelled by Davies, on the sea wall of the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, Isle of Wight
  • Swimming biography Against the Tide published in 1984[36]
  • Learn to Swim in a Weekend (1992, translated into multiple languages)[37]
  • Channel 4 television comedy series The Optimist, in an episode that was filmed entirely on location on Mexico
  • This Morning – presenting a mums and babies learning to swim series on ITV
  • Question Time – discussing the winning Olympic bid for London 2012 which Davies was part of
  • 1996 presented Channel 4's The Big Breakfast
  • 1995 she joined ITV's Gladiators being given the nickname "Amazon"
  • 1995 with Julia Thorley, book Pregnant and Fit [38]
  • Presenter of Ace Reports, ITV's version of Blue Peter
  • Survived on The Island with Bear Grylls
  • 1994 – a "British Girls of Sport" calendar, raising money for the Sports Aid Foundation
  • Guest dart player, throwing for charity, on British game show Bullseye
  • Presenting and commentating on swimming coverage for the BBC (extended to other sports for the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics)
  • 2008 presented with Jim Rosenthal on Five's latest revival of the long running celebrity sports competition Superstars[39]
  • 2010 – ITV series Dancing on Ice, partnered by regular participant Pavel Aubrecht; eliminated on 21 February 2010 (week 7 of the series)
  • Ski tuition video with world champion Franz Klammer, alongside fellow swimmer Duncan Goodhew
  • Presenter at London's 2012 Olympics Handover Party in the Mall
  • In January 2022, she launched an online fitness site, Sharron Davies Training.[40]
  • In her 2023 book, Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport, on trans women in women's sport.[41]

Personal life

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In the 1980s, Davies lived with and was engaged to Neil Adams[42] an Olympic and World Championship medallist in judo.

Davies then married gym manager John Crisp in West Sussex in 1987. They were divorced in 1991.[43]

In 1992, she met athlete Derek Redmond at the Barcelona Olympics. In 1994 they were married in Northampton, and had two children. They divorced in 2000.[44]

Davies's third marriage was to British Airways pilot Tony Kingston.[45][better source needed] They were married in 2002 in Gloucestershire.[46][failed verification] In autumn 2006, she announced that she was three months pregnant after 8 rounds of IVF treatment, having been trying for a baby for four years and suffering two miscarriages. During a Sport Relief event in Devon, she said: "We're very optimistic and happy but we're cautious, too, because of what we have been through. Giving birth at 44 doesn't worry me. So many women go through this as they leave it later to have babies." Davies gave birth to her third child on 30 January 2007. She split up with Kingston in 2009 after seven years of marriage.[47]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Searcey, Ian (27 July 2012). "Olympic archive: Sharron Davies (1977)". Channel 4 News. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Sharron Davies – Olympics". Olympics. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Mount Kelly Swimming". Mount Kelly Boarding and Day School. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  4. ^ Raymond, Clare (30 November 1998). "Interview: I do want to swim in the Olympics.. but I will not let dad bully me the way he did Sharron; Exclusive: the lengths a sister will go to for fame". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022 – via The Free Library.
  5. ^ a b "Hall of Fame". British Swimming Coaches Association. Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b Ria Tesia (30 June 2022). "Who is Sharron Davies? Former athlete's quest to get Brits healthy". WiltshireLive. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Schneider Fesses Up". Swimming World. 13 April 1998. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Davies underlines return with new British record". The Herald. Glasgow. 21 October 1989. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Sharron Davies – Patron of The National Vintage Games". National Vintage Games. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  10. ^ "England Edmonton 1978". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  11. ^ "England Auckland 1990". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  12. ^ Searcey, Ian (27 July 2012). "Olympic archive: Sharron Davies (1977)". Channel 4 News. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  13. ^ Lord, Craig. "Sharron Davies in line for gold medal 41 years later as swimming chief Husain al-Musallam vows to confront Olympic doping". The Times. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Swimming – Downie chosen for British team". The Times. 25 July 1977. p. 6. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  15. ^ Hennessy, John (29 May 1978). "Hennessy, John. "Swimming." Times, 29 May 1978, p. 12". The Times. p. 12. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  16. ^ Hennessy, John (30 May 1978). "Swimming – Seven out of seven gives a record for and a bonus for Miss Davies". The Times. p. 6. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  17. ^ Hennessy, John (24 May 1980). "Swimming – Campbell brakes his record twice". The Times. p. 17. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  18. ^ Hennessy, John (26 May 1980). "Swimming – Day of those who have come from nowhere". The Times. p. 11. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  19. ^ Downes, Steven (17 July 1989). "Selectors juggle numbers for Bonn". The Times. p. 31. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Results from Sheffield". The Times. 15 June 1992. p. 28. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  21. ^ "No. 53153". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1992. pp. 12–13.
  22. ^ Sharron Davies MBE [@sharrond62] (13 July 2022). "I'm supporting @KemiBadenoch a fresh, brave & intelligent woman who's prepared to tackle issues head on so many have ignored for too long, total transparency & integrity. The @Conservatives party needs to vote for someone who will win at the ballot box & look forward #Kemi4PM" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  23. ^ "Former Olympian says transgender athletes should not compete in women's sport". The Independent. 3 March 2019. Archived from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  24. ^ "'I Was an Olympic Swimmer, I Want Trans Women Banned From Female Sports'". Newsweek. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  25. ^ Sharon Davies (21 December 2019). "Am I the only person fed up of drag shows? A parody of what a real woman is, like black face. Woman are juggling kids, rushing out a wholesome dinner, doing the laundry & cleaning, holding down a job all with period pains & leaky boobs if breast feeding. Enough of the stereotypes". X (formerly Twitter) (Tweet). Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  26. ^ "Former Olympian criticised for comparing drag shows to blackface". The Independent. 21 December 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  27. ^ "Sharron Davies on trans women in sport". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  28. ^ a b Davies, Sharron (20 March 2022). "Sharron Davies: Injustice of transgender athletes has echo of the dopers I faced". The Times. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  29. ^ Melanie Reid (17 June 2023). "Unfair Play: The Battle for Women's Sport by Sharron Davies review – women are being cheated of medals". The Times. Retrieved 31 August 2023. Davies is determined to stop another generation of female athletes being cheated.
  30. ^ Davies, Sharron (2023). Unfair Play: The Battle for Women's Sport. with Craig Lord. Forum Press/Swift Press. passim. ISBN 9781800752801.
  31. ^ Somerville, Ewan (23 September 2023). "MPs who believe women can have a penis will be named and shamed ahead of general election". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  32. ^ What Is A Woman Campaign (24 September 2023). "Our volunteers will be trained on how to approach MPs respectfully and courteously. This is about calmly giving MPs the chance to clarify their position, on camera. This is about transparency and honesty". X (formerly Twitter) (Tweet). Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  33. ^ Coen, Susie; Corless, Blathnaid (7 April 2023). "Sharron Davies calls for Nike boycott after trans influencer promoted its sports bra". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  34. ^ a b Morgan, Tom (8 August 2024). "A woman could die at Olympics if boxing gender controversy not resolved, says Sharron Davies". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  35. ^ Boffey, Daniel (8 August 2024). "Sharron Davies encourages Khelif and Lin's opponents to challenge defeats". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  36. ^ Davies, Sharron (1984). Against the Tide. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0002181204.
  37. ^ Davies, Sharron (1992). Learn to Swim in a Weekend. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-0679412762.
  38. ^ Davies, Sharron; Thorley, Julia (1995). Pregnant and Fit. Partridge. ISBN 9781852252403.
  39. ^ "Superstars twinkle with 1.3m". broadcastnow.co.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2015.[permanent dead link]
  40. ^ Ball, Elliot (10 January 2022). "Olympian Sharron Davies launches new online training class". The Herald. Plymouth. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  41. ^ Melanie Reid (17 June 2023). "Unfair Play: The Battle for Women's Sport by Sharron Davies review – women are being cheated of medals". The Times. Retrieved 31 August 2023. Davies is determined to stop another generation of female athletes being cheated.
  42. ^ "The water babe". The Daily Telegraph. 29 August 2004. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  43. ^ Eden, Richard (19 September 2009). "Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies separates from her third husband". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  44. ^ "Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies separates from her third husband". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  45. ^ "Make Christmas Villages easily with My Village". MyVillage. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  46. ^ "find my past". findmypast.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  47. ^ Fulton, Rick (23 January 2010). "Swimmer Sharron Davies hopes to prove Dancing on Ice critics wrong". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
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