Phyllis Lightbourn-Jones

Phyllis Marjorie Lightbourn-Jones-Sherburne

Phyllis Lightbourn-Jones
(born 8 August 1928) is a Bermudian former sprinter
and long-jumper who represented Bermuda at the 1948 Personal information
and 1952 Summer Olympics. After qualifying for the Birth name Phyllis Lightbourn
1948 Olympics through the Bermudian Olympic Trials,
Full name Phyllis Marjorie Lightbourn-Jones-
she competed in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and the
Sherburne
long jump at the Games. She reached the semi-finals of
Born 8 August 1928
the 100 and 200 metres and was eliminated in the heats
Bermuda
of the long jump. During the games, Lightbourn-Jones
became the first woman to represent Bermuda at the Sport
Olympics. She qualified again through the Bermuda Sport Sprinting, long jump
Olympic Trials for the 1952 Olympics, where she Event(s) 100 metres, 200 metres, long
competed in the 100 metres and the long jump. She jump
was eliminated in the first round of both events.

After retiring from competitive athletics, she married and moved to Alaska and then to New London,
Connecticut, where she was a volunteer coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy. This position
made her the first female track coach to work at a higher institution in the United States.

Biography
Phyllis Marjorie Lightbourn was born on 8 August 1928 in Bermuda. At the age of seven, she began
participating in athletics, and after World War II, she broke several Bermudian records in multiple
events.[1]

1948 Olympics
By 1948, Lightbourn had become the Bermuda champion in the women's 100 metres. At the 1948
Bermuda Olympic Track and Field Trials for the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, Phyllis Edness beat
her in the 100 metres event.[2] Both Lightbourn and Edness ran a time of 12.7 seconds,[3] which was
faster than the Bermuda Olympic qualifying time of 13.3, and The Royal Gazette wrote that there were
"tremendous possibilities in the Olympics" with these performances.[2] On 22 June 1948, the Bermuda
Olympic team was announced, which included Lightbourn as one of twelve athletes selected for the team.
The only other female athlete on the team was Edness.[4] After arriving in London, it was reported that
Lightbourn and Edness were struggling to adapt to the warmer temperatures in London at the time.[5]
Through the Olympics, the athletics team coach was D. J. Williams.[6]

At the Olympics, she competed in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and the long jump.[1] Her first appearance
was in heat five of the 100 metres on 31 July 1948, in which she competed in heat five, becoming the first
female to represent Bermuda at the Olympics. Edness ran in heat eight shortly afterwards.[7][8] In the 100
metres, she placed second in her heat to qualify for the semi-
finals with a time of 13.0 seconds.[9][10] She was eliminated
in the semi-finals after running a time of 13.65 to finish sixth
(last).[9] In her 200 metres heat, she was in third position near
the finish, but the second-place runner (Czechoslovakia's
Olga Šicnerová) fell, which allowed Lightbourn to take
second position and qualify for the semi-finals with a time of
27.0. Lightbourn also fainted at the finish line. She was
treated by paramedics.[11] She was eliminated in semi-finals
after finishing seventh (last).[12] In the long jump, she
finished seventh out of thirteen in her heat with a jump of
5.23 metres that was not far enough to qualify for the semi-
finals.[13][14] The Royal Gazette wrote that Lightbourn was
the most outstanding track and field performer representing
the Colony.[15] Lightbourn racing in the women's 100
metres at the 1948 Olympics. Lightbourn
is in second place (first place is not in the
1952 Olympics picture), and Belgium's Marie-Thérèse
Renard is running behind her in third.
At the 1952 Bermuda Olympic Trials, Phyllis, now competing
under the surname "Jones" won the long jump with a new
Bermudian record of 17 feet and 2 inches (5.26 metres).
She also placed second behind Thelma Jones in the 100
metres with a time of 12.3. She qualified for the Bermudian
Olympic team in both events.[16] Again, the athletics team
coach was Williams. On 16 June 1952, the Bermuda Olympic
team was announced, including Phyllis Jones as one of the six
Bermudian athletes.[17]
Lightbourn (left) training for the 1952
At the 1952 Summer Olympics in the 100 metres, she was
Olympic Trials
eliminated after finishing fifth (last) in her heat with a time of
13.55.[18] In the long jump, she did not progress to the final
after jumping 4.92 metres, finishing 33rd in the qualifying round.[19] The Royal Gazette reported that
Jones injured her leg, which hindered her performances.[20]

Later life
In 1953, she was awarded Bermuda's Athlete of the year by the Bermudian Amateur Athletic
Association.[21] After briefly retiring, Lightbourn competed in the Bermuda athletics championships in
1954.[1][22] In 1955, she married Gilbert Sherburne, an American Naval Officer,[23] and subsequently
retired from athletic competition. She moved first to Alaska, then to New London, Connecticut. In New
London, she worked as a volunteer coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy.[23][1] Her work
there made her the first female track coach to work at a higher institution in the United States. She later
moved with her husband to Florida.[1]

References
 1. "Olympedia – Phyllis Lightbourn-Jones" (https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/65360).
Olympedia. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
2. "Three Records Broken in Five Events to be Run – Coloured Athletes Show Well in Track
and Field Meeting" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/id/13994
7/rec/6). The Royal Gazette. 31 May 1948. p. 6. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
3. "Olympic Coaches Report on Selection of Team – Gosling's Diving Outstanding Good
Performances in Track" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/id/13
9106/rec/10). The Royal Gazette. 25 June 1948. p. 7. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
4. "Twelve Athletes Chosen to Represent Bermuda" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/colle
ction/BermudaNP02/id/139542/rec/9). The Royal Gazette. 22 June 1948. p. 6. Retrieved
27 June 2025.
5. Brown, Bernard (28 July 1948). "Dill and Gosling Seen as Best Hopes of Bermuda Olympic
Team in London" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/id/142336/r
ec/15). The Royal Gazette. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
6. Acton, Nancy (22 November 2000). "THERE'S NO STOPPING PATSY! -- This 70-year-old
proves that sport is not only for the youth" (https://www.royalgazette.com/other/lifestyle/articl
e/20110209/theres-no-stopping-patsy-this-70-year-old-proves-that-sport-is-not-only-for-the-y
outh/). The Royal Gazette. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
7. "Olympic Results: Athletics" (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-times/1783550
12/). The Sunday Times. Perth. 1 August 1948. p. 11. Retrieved 7 August 2025 – via
Newspapers.com.
8. "First female competitors at the Olympics by country" (https://www.olympedia.org/lists/99/ma
nual). Olympedia. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
9. "Olympedia – 100 metres, Women" (https://www.olympedia.org/results/58767). Olympedia.
Retrieved 26 June 2025.
10. Brown, Bernard (2 August 1948). "Gosling Makes Tenth in Diving; Lightbourn in 100 Metre
Semi-Finals" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/id/142366/rec/1
7). The Royal Gazette. p. 1. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
11. Brown, Bernard (6 August 1948). "Phyllis Lightbourn Faints on Finish Line; Eliminated in
Semi-Finals of Sprint" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/id/141
482/rec/20). The Royal Gazette. p. 1. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
12. "Olympedia – 200 metres, Women" (https://www.olympedia.org/results/58783). Olympedia.
Retrieved 26 June 2025.
13. "Olympedia – Long Jump, Women" (https://www.olympedia.org/results/59203). Olympedia.
Retrieved 26 June 2025.
14. Brown, Bernard (5 August 1948). "Lightbourn, Dill and Shanks Ousted Yesterday; 'Mudians
in Only Three More Events" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/i
d/142072/rec/19). The Royal Gazette. p. 1. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
15. Brown, Bernard (9 August 1948). "Smallest Country in Games Acquits Herself with Pride" (ht
tps://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/id/141611/rec/21). The Royal
Gazette. p. 1. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
16. "Three Girls Meet Olympic Standards in Track and Field Trials" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.or
g/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/id/154651/rec/13). The Royal Gazette. 5 May 1952. p. 8.
Retrieved 28 June 2025.
17. "Six Athletes are Chosen for Bermuda Olympic Team" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/
collection/BermudaNP02/id/154005/rec/17). The Royal Gazette. 16 June 1952. p. 1.
Retrieved 28 June 2025.
18. "Olympedia – 100 metres, Women" (https://www.olympedia.org/results/59137). Olympedia.
Retrieved 26 June 2025.
19. "Olympedia – Long Jump, Women" (https://www.olympedia.org/results/59203). Olympedia.
Retrieved 26 June 2025.
20. "Thelma Jones Made Final of Long Jump" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/B
ermudaNP02/id/154829/rec/25). The Royal Gazette. 25 July 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 28 June
2025.
21. "Athlete of Year Gets Award" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/
id/157733/rec/28). The Royal Gazette. 14 March 1953. p. 9. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
22. "Athletic Meeting is Success at Prospect Field Yesterday" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/dig
ital/collection/BermudaNP02/id/164533/rec/33). The Royal Gazette. 27 September 1954.
p. 6. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
23. "Still in the Running" (https://bnl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/BermudaNP02/id/1780
53/rec/39). The Royal Gazette. 6 June 1957. p. 6. Retrieved 28 June 2025.

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