Born in London as the daughter of 1908 Olympic fencer William James, Dame Mary was a prodigious foil fencer, competing at the London 1948, Helsinki 1952, Melbourne 1956 and Rome 1960 Olympic Games, and winning individual gold medals at the 1950 British Empire Games and at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

A subsequent pioneer for women in sport, Dame Mary served as an IOC member for 12 years from 1982 to 1994, starting her tenure only a year after Venezuela's Flor Isava-Fonseca and Finland's Pirjo Häggman became the first female members.

During this time, she spent a decade on the IOC Medical Commission before ascending to IOC honorary member status in 1994, after which she was awarded an Olympic Order at the Centennial Olympic Congress in 1994 in Paris to recognise her "lifelong commitment to sport".

She also held several positions within the British Olympic Association and the International Fencing Federation and was President of the British Sports Association for the Disabled from 1981 to 1991, receiving a Damehood from the Queen in the 1993 New Year Honours.

Dame Mary participated in the first of four Olympic Games in her home city of London in 1948 ©Getty Images



Alongside her sporting and administrative success, she also embraced a professional career in the medical field, which made her an ideal candidate for the Medical Commission, while in her 90s she remained a key ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

"Dame Mary Alison Glen-Haig lived a life full of passion for sport and was a pioneer in many respects", said fellow foil fencer and current IOC President Thomas Bach.

"Her skills on the sports field, as well as in the medical field, combined with her warm personality, made her unique.

"She was a true inspiration."

Haig passed away on Saturday (November 15), with the IOC expressing its deepest sympathies to her family.

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