| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 25 June 1941 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | High jump |
Frances Mary Slaap (born 25 June 1941) is a British athlete. She competed in the women's high jump at the 1960 Summer Olympics and the 1964 Summer Olympics.[1] She also represented England in the 80 metres hurdles and high jump at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia.[2][3]
She attended Frays College.[4]
She attended Ruislip Athletic Club, where she was trained by Dorothy Tyler-Odam. She won the All-England Schools title in 1960.[5]
By the early 1960s, she was a biology teacher. By 1964 she taught at a Hertfordshire school; aged 23, she had given up teaching that year.[6]
She broke the English high jump record on Saturday 4 July 1964 at White City at the Women's AAA Championships, jumping 5ft 8.5in, equalling the British record.[7]
On Saturday 15 August 1964 she jumped 5ft 9in at White City, in a Britain-Poland competition, taking the British record, which had stood since 1956.
At Portsmouth she jumped 5ft 9.25in, increasing the British record on Saturday 26 September 1964. At the same event at Alexandra Park, Portsmouth, Mary Rand also unofficially broke the women's long jump world record, and was the first woman to jump 22ft, but she had a back wind.[8]
On 15 October 1964 in the Olympic final, she came 6th, being the only British woman in the final.
She emigrated to Australia in December 1966 after not being picked for the England Commonwealth nor the British European team. She looked to compete for the Australian team in the 1968 Summer Olympics.[9]
She moved to Brisbane on 14 December 1966 to work for an airline.[10]
She moved to England for three months in 1968 to try to get into the British team for the upcoming 1968 Summer Olympics.[11]