Violet Webb

Who was Violet Webb?

Violet Blanche Webb was an English athlete who competed for Great Britain in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics.

She was born in Willesden and died in Northwood, London. She was the mother of Janet Simpson.

In 1932, she travelled to Los Angeles as one of five women entered by the Women's Amateur Athletic Association at the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Olympics as Britain's first female Olympians in athletics events. She finished fifth in the 80 metre hurdles event. She also featured in the 4x100 metre relay, where she replaced the injured Ethel Johnson, and won the bronze medal with her teammates, Eileen Hiscock, Gwendoline Porter and Nellie Halstead.

Four years later at the Berlin Olympics, she was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 80 metre hurdles competition. Her daughter, Janet Simpson, won the same medal in the same event at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Webb competed in the 1934 Empire Games, held in London, England, winning the bronze medal in the long jump. In the 80 metre hurdles, she was eliminated in the heats. She also competed at the Women's World Games of 1934, winning a bronze medal at 80 metre hurdles.