Vanessa Madeleine GILES [1937- ]

Submitted by eurasian_david on Mon, 10/17/2022 - 23:00
Names
Given
Vanessa Madeleine
Family
Giles
Sex
Female
Status
Unknown
Born
Date
Birthplace (town, state)
Daventry, Northamptonshire, England
Birthplace (country)
United Kingdom

Student and Prefect at KGV 1953-54

Photos that show this Person

1953

Comments

She came first in Heat 1 of the Girls 50m freestyle at the Inter Schools Aquatic Meet held at the Ritz Gardens at North Point on 17th June 1953 and thus made it to the final. Her fellow classmate Suzanne Hewson also came first in the second heat for the same distance and style.  

Vanessa's time of 33.4 seconds was a record.

She also made it to the Final for the Girls Middle School 400m Free Style. 

Source: The China Mail, page 6, 18th June 1953

And then in the Finals...

"High Standard At Inter-School Swimming Meet...

...Honours in the Middle School Girls' events swum off yesterday were shared by KGV's Vanessa Giles and New Method College 's Kan Lin-ling, while in the Inter-School 200 Metres Relay event in this division, King George V School took the first place. 

Vanessa Giles, after taking an early one-length lead from Suzanne Hewson, kept well in the lead in the 100 Metres Free Style to win by two lengths.

Suzanne Hewson did not have matters her own way in gaining second place. New Method's Chang Ching-mui came up from behind and a gallant attempt saw her level with Suzanne at the beginning of the last lap.

The stronger finish of the KGV girl took her to the winning line in an exciting finish by the narrow margin of just under half a length.

Kan Yin-ling, although eventually finishing up three lengths ahead of KGV's Lorna Mack, led all the way in the Middle School Girls' 100 Metres Back Stroke. New Method's Chan Ching-mui was third.

The Middle School Girls' 200 Metres Free Style Relay provided an exciting tussle between KGV and New Method College. Belilios Public School, with their firs three swimmers swimming the breast stroke, sportingly completed the race well behind.

Suzanne Hewson gave KGV an early four-length lead, but New Method's second swimmer, Virginia Wong, reduced this to just over one length on Elizabeth Stokes. 

Paddy Fu cut the lead further to when she drew closer to Lynn Ramsay by half a length.

Vanessa Giles, though given only half a length lead, easily outsped her rival Chang Ching-mui to reach the finishing line three lengths ahead...

...THE RESULTS...

...Middle Girls' 100 metres free style: 1. Vanessa Giles (KGV); 2 . Suzanne Hewson (KGV); 3. Chang Ching-mui (NM). Time: 70 secs. 

...Middle Girls' 4 x 50 metres relay: 1. KGV; 2. NM; 3. BPS. Time. 2 mins 31.4secs...."

Source: The China Mail, page 6, 19th June 1953