Winifred Griffin

{{Short description|New Zealand swimmer}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Winifred Ashby

| image = Winifred Griffin 1956.jpg

| caption = Griffin in 1956

| birth_name = Winifred Clare Griffin

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|11|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kawakawa, New Zealand

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|12|11|1932|11|17|df=y}}

| death_place = Hibiscus Coast, New Zealand

| spouse = Kerry Ashby

| relatives = Murray Ashby (brother-in-law)

| country = New Zealand

| sport = Swimming

| nationals = 220 yards freestyle champion (1951, 1953, 1955, 1957)
440 yards freestyle champion (1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957)

| medaltemplates=

{{MedalCountry | {{NZL}} }}

{{MedalSport | Women's Swimming}}

{{MedalCompetition|British Empire Games}}

{{MedalSilver| 1950 Auckland | 4 x 110 yd freestyle}}

}}

Winifred Clare "Winkie" Ashby (née Griffin, 17 November 1932 – 11 December 2018) was a New Zealand freestyle swimmer. At the 1950 British Empire Games she won the silver medal as part of the 4 x 110 yards freestyle relay.{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/54147 |title=Winifred C. Griffin |year=2018 |publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=19 December 2018 |archive-date=19 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219134344/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/54147 |url-status=dead }} She was also a member of the New Zealand 3 x 100 yards medley relay team that was disqualified. Individually she placed fourth in the 440 yards freestyle and sixth in the 110 yards freestyle. She also competed in the 440 and 110 yards freestyle at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Her only Olympic Games appearance was in 1956 at Melbourne where she swam 100 m and 400 m freestyle, and was eliminated in the heats.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418081153/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/winifred-griffin-1.html Winifred Griffin]. sports-reference.com

Griffin won nine New Zealand national swimming titles: the 220 yards freestyle in 1951, 1953, 1955 and 1957; and the 440 yards freestyle in 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1957.{{cite book |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/swimming-national-championships | chapter=Swimming – national championships |title=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand |year=1966 |editor1-last=McLintock | editor-first=A.H. |editor-link=Alexander Hare McLintock |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage |access-date=19 December 2018}}

She was married to rower Kerry Ashby, who died in 2015. Winifred Ashby died of cancer on the Hibiscus Coast, north of Auckland, on 11 December 2018.{{cite news | url=http://notices.nzherald.co.nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/obituary.aspx?n=winifred-clare-nee-griffin-ashby-winkie&pid=191012917 | title=Winifred Ashby death notice | date=18 December 2018 | work=New Zealand Herald | access-date=19 December 2018}}