Valerie Davies

Elizabeth Valerie Davies (29 June 1912 – 2 August 2001), later known by her married name Valerie Latham, was a Welsh competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

Swimming career At only 15 she won secured a Welsh championship. Throughout her teenage years she won multiple Welsh swimming records. She also competed for Wales at the 1930 British Empire Games winning all three medals. She was awarded two silver medals in the 100 yards backstroke and the 400 yards freestyle and a bronze medal in the 100 yards freestyle. Four years later she won the bronze medal in the 100 yards backstroke event. In 1931, she represented Britain in 2 events at the World's Swimming Championships.

In the 1932 Olympics she won bronze medals in the 100 m backstroke event and in 4×100 m freestyle relay event and was third in her first round heat of 100 m freestyle event and did not advance.

Personal life Davies was born, 29 June 1912, in Cardiff. She lived by Roath Park Lake, where she had to do most of her training, as at the time there wasn't a pool larger than 20-yards in the local area. She died in Newport, in August 2001.