Allison Higson

{{Short description|Canadian swimmer (born 1973)}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2024}}

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Allison Higson

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = Allison Ann Higson

| nicknames =

| national_team = Canada

| strokes = Breaststroke, freestyle

| club = Etobicoke Swim Club, University of Calgary, Napa Valley Swim Team

| collegeteam = Stanford University

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|3|13|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|1.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|70|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Women's swimming}}

{{MedalCountry | Canada}}

{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games}}

{{MedalBronze | 1988 Seoul | 4x100 m medley}}

{{MedalCompetition | World Championships (LC)}}

{{MedalBronze | 1986 Madrid | 200 m breaststroke}}

{{MedalCompetition | Pan Pacific Championships}}

{{MedalGold | 1987 Brisbane | 100 m breaststroke}}

{{MedalSilver | 1987 Brisbane | 200 m medley}}

{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{MedalGold|1986 Edinburgh|100 m breaststroke}}

{{MedalGold|1986 Edinburgh|200 m breaststroke}}

{{MedalSilver|1986 Edinburgh|4x100 m medley}}

{{MedalSilver|1990 Auckland|4x100 m freestyle}}

}}

Allison Ann Higson (born March 13, 1973), later known by her married name Allison Cavanaugh, is a former 2-time Olympic breaststroke, individual medley, and freestyle swimmer from Canada. Born in Mississauga, Ontario, she grew up in Brampton, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. She now lives in Traverse City, Michigan with her husband, Sean, and 2 children.

At the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland, Higson won gold medals in the women's 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke, setting new Commonwealth Records in both. Later that summer at the 1986 World Championships in Madrid, Spain, Higson captured a bronze medal in the 200-metre breaststroke event.

At the 1988 Canadian Olympic Trials, in Montreal, Quebec, at the age of 15, Higson broke the women's 200-metre breaststroke World Record in a time of 2:27:27, previously held by Silke Hoerner of East Germany.

Higson also competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, in the preliminary heats of the 100-metre and 200-metre freestyle, and placed eighth in final of the women's 4x100-metre freestyle relay as a member of Canada's team.