Cooper, Charlotte (1871–1966)

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Cooper, Charlotte (1871–1966)

British tennis player who was a five-time winner at Wimbledon and the first woman to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games. Name variations: Mrs. A. Sterry; (nickname) "Chattie." Born in Ealing, Middlesex, England, on September 22, 1870; died on October 10, 1966.

Won singles championships at Wimbledon (1895, 1896, 1898, 1901, and 1908); won the gold medal for singles and mixed doubles-outdoors at the Olympic Games in Paris (1900).

Officially the first woman to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games, Charlotte "Chattie" Cooper was already a three-time Wimbledon champion before appearing at the Paris Olympics in 1900. Noted for her strength and her attack (unusual in the "ladylike" matches of the time), Cooper defeated French champion Helen Prevois in straight sets to take the gold. She then went on to win a second gold medal in the mixed-doubles competition, partnered with Reginald Doherty. Cooper attributed her success to her "lenient" mother, who allowed her the freedom to pursue the sport. She won two more Wimbledon titles, capturing her last championship in 1908, at age 38.

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