Ethel Smith (athlete)

Ethel Smith (July 5, 1902 – January 9, 1979) was a Canadian track and field athlete who won a bronze medal in the 100 metres and a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. She competed as a member of Canada's first Olympic women's track and field team, later known as the "Matchless Six", which took part in the first Olympic Games to include women's athletics in 1928. Smith finished third in the 100 metres to become the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in track and field. She also ran the second leg of the relay alongside Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld, Florence Isabel "Jane" Bell and Myrtle Cook, and the Canadian team won the event in a world-record time of 48.4 seconds.

Before the Olympics Smith was an accomplished sprinter and middle-distance runner in Canadian amateur competition during the 1920s. She competed in several events, including the 100 metres and 800 metres, during a period when women athletes often trained and competed across multiple disciplines.

After her athletic career Smith worked as a physical education teacher and coach. Her performances at the 1928 Olympics formed part of Canada's strong showing in the first Olympic program to include women's athletics, in which members of the Matchless Six won multiple medals and helped establish Canada as a leading nation in early international women's track and field competition.