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• Born 01 September 1927 Sydney
• Australia/New South Wales
• Weight - 5' 6
• Height - 8 stone

Joyce King started competing in athletics in the early 1940s and soon found success in a range of sprint events to 440y.

A great all-round sportswoman; she also represented her state in netball, softball and swimming before setting national records for 100y and 220y to win the 1948 nationals.

At the London Olympics she did not run at her best, but won a silver medal as part of Australia's 4x100m relay team.

Joyce King was born in Sydney, but lived in the country town of Woy Woy for the first few years of her life.

For most of her childhood and teenage years, she lived in her parent's mixed store in the Sydney suburb of Willoughby.

Joyce began running in her school days and was good at a range of sports. In late 1941, aged fourteen, she began competing in Sydney interclub athletics and won a number of junior sprint events.

Two years later, the sixteen year old won NSW State titles for 220y and 440y setting new personal bests and looking set for a bright future in the sport.

She suffered from injuries and illness over the next few years but returned to claim another state title, over 220y in 1946. In addition she was the best sprinter at the 1946 NSW vs Victoria meet and ran her fastest ever 100y and 220y times during the season.

In 1947, she avoided the track and was set to tour New Zealand with the Australian basketball (Netball) team until a lack of transport and finances meant the trip had to be cancelled.

Instead she captained the state softball team which travelled to Queensland for a series. A versatile talent, Joyce had also won a silver medal in the state swimming championships.

Around Christmas 1947, she decided she would compete in the Australian championships to be held in Sydney in late January. She started training with her twin brother Bruce, a former North Sydney High sprint champion prior to World War II, where he served in the navy.

She ran a fast national record time of 11.0 in January, leading into the championships and her lack of serious training did not seem to be affecting her form at all.

In the nationals, she was not even selected in the NSW sprint relay team, but she won her heat of the 220y on Day One of the championships in a new Australian record time of 24.9, which was well up in world rankings. She went onto win the final in the same time, just inches ahead of the new Western Australian star Shirley Strickland and NSW Champion Betty McKinnon.

Over 100y she was just as impressive, beating Strickland in the heat in a fast 11.1, although McKinnon equalled the Australian record in the other heat. In the final, run on a track which was 25% under water, she again was placed first, by the smallest margin, ahead of Strickland with McKinnon a yard behind them. King's time of 11.0 again equalled the national record.

Selected in the 1948 Olympic team, she did not run at her best in the London Games. She was third in her 100m heat and did not progress to the semi-finals.

In the 200m event, she did better to win her heat (25.9) but could only finish sixth in her semi-final. The highlight of the competition was the 4x100m relay when King ran the last leg with a handy lead over the rest of the field.

The unstoppable Fanny Blankers-Koen ran King down in the final stages to take the gold medal from the Australians, but the team was happy enough with their silver medal.

In the 1948/49 season, Joyce King ran in meetings in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide against Blankers-Koen, but was unplaced behind other new talents such as Marjorie Jackson.  Suffering a leg injury, she was forced to withdraw from other meetings.  Soon after this, Joyce King retired at the age of 22.

INTERNATIONAL HONOURS

OLYMPIC GAMES 1948 LONDON

100m   4 H3 DNQ
200m   1 H3 25.9
       6 SF 2 -
4x100m 2 H1 48.0
       2 F 47.6 SILVER

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

100y 1 1948 11.0
220y 1 1948 24.9

PROGRESSION

     1941 1942 1943 1944 1945  1946 1947 1948
100y 11.8 11.6           11.8  11.2      11.0
     11.5e     11.4e     11.7e
220y 27.3 28.0 26.8 28.6 27.2e 25.8      24.9
440y      67.8 62.8            64.2e

PERSONAL BESTS

75y   9.0 1 Sydney 15 January  1943
100y 11.0 1 Sydney 17 January  1948
220y 24.9 1 Sydney 23 January  1948
440y 62.8 1 Sydney 20 February 1943
90yH 14.0 1 Sydney 14 November 1942
            

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