Marjorie Jackson
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Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE (born September 13, 1931) is the Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete.
Marjorie Jackson was born in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, and first gained fame when she defeated reigning Olympic 100 and 200 m champion Fanny Blankers-Koen a number of times in 1949, earning the nickname "the Lithgow Flash", after the New South Wales town where she lived.
After having won four titles at the 1950 British Empire Games, Jackson came as a favourite to the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics. She won both the 100 m and 200 m, winning the first Olympic athletics titles for Australia since Teddy Flack in 1896. Having more strong runners in the team, the Australian 4 x 100 m relay team was also a favourite for the gold, but a faulty exchange meant Jackson's chances for third gold medal were gone.
In 1953 Jackson married Olympic cyclist Peter Nelson. After his death from leukaemia in 1977, she launched the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship.
Majorie Jackson-Nelson was one of the eight flag-bearers of the Olympic Flag at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
On March 15 2006, Majorie Jackson-Nelson was one of the final four runners who carried the Queen's Baton around the MCG stadium during the 2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
In late 2001, Marjorie Jackson-Nelson was appointed as Governor of South Australia.
Honours
Majorie was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the 1953 Coronation Honours. She was made a Companion of the Order of Australia upon appointment as Governor in 2001. She was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in February 2002 during Queen Elizabeth II's visit to South Australia. She is also a Dame of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.
External links
- [Biography at the Governor of South Australia website]
- [Peter Nelson Leukaemia Research Fellowship Fund]
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| Olympic medalists in athletics (women) | Olympic champions in women's 100 m |
|---|
| Betty Robinson | Stanisława Walasiewicz | Helen Stephens | Fanny Blankers-Koen | Marjorie Jackson | Betty Cuthbert | Wilma Rudolph | Wyomia Tyus | Renate Stecher | Annegret Richter | Lyudmila Kondratyeva | Evelyn Ashford | Florence Griffith Joyner | Gail Devers | Marion Jones | Yulia Nesterenko |
| Olympic medalists in athletics (women) | Olympic Champions in Women's 200 m |
|---|
| Fanny Blankers-Koen | Marjorie Jackson | Betty Cuthbert | Wilma Rudolph | Edith McGuire | Irena Szewińska | Renate Stecher | Bärbel Eckert Wöckel (twice) | Valerie Brisco-Hooks | Florence Griffith Joyner | Gwen Torrence | Marie-José Pérec | Marion Jones | Veronica Campbell |
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