Irene Pirie

Biography

Canadian swimmer Irene Pirie just missed out on Olympic medals finishing fourth twice as a member of the 4x100m freestyle relay team at Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936. Individually, she did not advance out of her Olympic preliminary swimming heats in any of her other races.

Twice Pirie competed at the British Empire Games winning gold in 1934 in London (4×100 yard freestyle relay), silvers in 1930 (4×100 yard freestyle) and 1934 (100 yard freestyle) and bronze in 1934 (440 yard freestyle).

A member of the Dolpinets Swimming Club in Toronto, Pirie is the sister of Canadian Olympic swimmer Bob Pirie, and the wife of British Olympic water polo player Frederick Milton. Her son Hamilton Milton competed for Britain at Rome 1960 where he finished fourth in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Passing in 1998 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, Pirie was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1975. In Ontario, the Irene Pirie Trophy is awarded by Swim Ontario to the female swimmer of the year (the male swimmer of the year is awarded the Bob Pirie Trophy).