Gillian Sheen

Gillian Sheen

Personal information
Born	(1928-08-21) 21 August 1928 Willesden, London, England
Sport
Sport	Fencing
Medal record Men's fencing Representing United Kingdom Women's Fencing Olympic Games Melbourne 1956 Foil Individual

Gillian Sheen (born 21 August 1928) is a British fencer and Olympic champion in foil competition. She won a gold medal in the women's individual foil event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. She also competed at the 1952 and 1960 Summer Olympics.

Biography

While studying at North Forland School in Kent, Sheen first took up the sport, and won the schoolgirls title in 1945. In 1947, she took the Junior Championships and went to University College Hospital in London to become a dental surgeon.In 1949, she won her first senior national title and took the British Universities title for five consecutive years. In 1951, she won a good medal at the World Universities Championships.

Sheen participated in the 1952 Olympics but was eliminated in the second round. She went back to the Olympics in 1956 and took the gold medal for Great Britain. She won on a classic technique when the era was advancing new athleticism in fencers. The press hailed her as a middle-class figure and emphasized her age (28) and gender so that she was seen as a "dark horse" competitor.

She competed competitively until 1963 winning the British Empire and Commonwealth title in 1958 and in 1960 won her tenth and final British Championship before marrying and moving to New York. There, she set up a deantal practice with her husband.

Further reading

Sheen, Gillian. Instructions to Young Fencers (1958) Museum Press