Britan (WAAA, Women)

Stamford Bridge, London, July 11, 1925

At the British Championships, 17-year-old Phyllis Green achieved one of the few women's athletics world records in 1925, an "off-year" with no Women's Olympiads or Women's World Games. The previous official record, held by Britain's Sophie Elliott-Lynn, was bettered by nearly four centimetres.

In the English-speaking world, Green's result was greeted with particular joy because it crossed the Anglo-Saxon "phantom barrier." 1.524 metres is exactly five feet.

Green's career lasted only a couple of years. She retired from athletics at the age of 19 – presumably to focus on managing her family's undertaking business.

Results

• Medallists (NUTS) 

Online Stories

• Phyllis Green (WA, 11.7.2025) 

• Phyllis Green (Epsom & Ewell Historical Explorer)