Oxo Sport Grounds, London, UK, August 18, 1923
In 1922, the Women's Amateur Athletic Association (WAAA) was established in England. Its first championships were held the following year in London.
Mary Lines maintained her position as Britain’s top female athlete. She won the inaugural English championships in the 100 and 440 yards, as well as the 120-yard hurdles and long jump.
Edith Trickey made a rare feat by winning both the 880-yard run and the 880-yard race walk in the same meet.
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Stade Pershing, Paris, France, September 23, 1923
Rose Thompson redeemed her loss to Lines in the 100 yards by running 11.4 seconds at the end of September. This mark, which matched the world record for 100 yards, was achieved during an international match against France at Stade Pershing in Paris. For the metric equivalent, this result is comparable to 12.4 seconds.
On the same day, at the same venue and meet, Yvonne Tembouret of France set a new world record in the discus throw with a distance of 27.39 metres (89-10), which was ratified by the FSFI.
Weequahic Park, Newark, NJ, USA, September 29, 1923
At the end of September, the first-ever U.S. women's national championships were held in New Jersey. The best performance was achieved by the 4x110-yard relay team of Meadowbrook Club of Philadelphia, which clocked 52.4 seconds. This mark, equivalent to 52.1 seconds for the metric distance, placed them third in the world rankings. The team included Frances Ruppert, the winner of the 100 yards.
The program also featured two somewhat exotic events: softball throw and basketball throw.
Tricard, Louise Mead (1996). American Women's Track and Field: A History, 1895 Through 1980. Vol. 1.
Toronto, ON, Canada, September 8, 1923
In Canada, the level of women's athletics began to rise as well. Rosa Grosse and Fanny Rosenfeld, a member of the 4x100 meter gold medal team at the Amsterdam Olympics, were part of a relay team that clocked 11.4 seconds for 100 yards in Toronto in September, ranking them among the top three in the world.
In the hockey nation, women's athletics were centered around the Toronto area, with advocacy from future 100-meter world record holder and Amsterdam relay team member Myrtle Cook.
Frankfurt am Main, Germany, August 17–19, 1923
Frankfurt am Main was chosen as the venue for the German championships in 1923. Strong women of the country began to emerge on the world stage. Lilli Henoch, the daughter of a Jewish merchant from Berlin, won both the shot put and discus. She also earned a bronze in the long jump and the 4x100 meter relay. In 1942, Henoch was deported to Latvia and shot. She had received coaching offers from the United States but did not accept them.
Gertrude Döring, who did not medal in the championships, jumped 1.51 metres (4-11) in the high jump in June, surpassing the official world record by a couple of centimeters. However, since Germany was not a member of the FSFI, it was not recorded as an official record.
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Stade Pershing, Paris, 23 September 1923
The season’s most competitive women’s international match took place at Pershing Stadium in Paris, where the host team, France, faced Britain. The event included nine disciplines—five on the track and four in the field. In each event, two French and two British athletes competed for points.
British strength was especially evident on the track, with Britain claiming victory in every running event. Rose Thompson matched the world record in the 100 yards with a time of 11.4 seconds. Notably, Mary Lines, who had bested Thompson at the English championships, did not participate in the match. Vera Palmer secured another victory for Britain in the unconventional 250-metre race, where she set a world's best of 35.4.
Britain defeated France with a score of 60–37.
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Rose Thompson (The Athletics Museum)
In Finland, the development took an entirely opposite direction compared to the rest of the world. The only individual women's event, the 100 metres, had been part of the Finnish national championships programme since 1913, but it was discontinued after a ten-year trial. The last 100-metres Finnish championship before a 22-year hiatus was won by Olga Virtanen, for whom it was her seventh title. In Finland, figures like Tahko Pihkala and other traditionalists opposed women’s track and field.