Lena Michaëlis

Lena Michaëlis

Lena Michaëlis at the 1928 Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Helena Cornelia Michaëlis
Born	4 November 1905 The Hague, Netherlands
Died	15 June 1982 (aged 76) The Hague, Netherlands
Sport
Sport	Discus throw; javelin throw
Club	Te Werve, Rijswijk

Helena Cornelia "Lena" Michaëlis (4 November 1905 – 15 June 1982) was a Dutch discus thrower. She competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics, and finished 11th with a throw of 31,04 m.[1] Next, she held the official Dutch record of 30,15.[2]

Sports career

Lena Michaëlis was a member of the athletics association Te Werve. Michaëlis became Dutch discus throwing champion in 1928 with a throw of 31,43 m.[3] It must have been the main reason why she was selected to participate in the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Here she finished 7th in the discus in the first run (11th overall) with a distance of 31,04, with which she was excluded from further participation. It is unclear why neither performance has been marked as a Dutch record, as that stood at 23,84[3] and had been held by Martha Kolthof since 1927.

The performance that Lena Michaëlis delivered shortly after the Games in Gouda was recognized as a Dutch record: on 26 August 1928, she threw to a distance of 30,15.[2] This record held for a year, when Dora Wevers improved it on 1 September.[4]

Personal

In August 1938, still 32-years old, she divorced Hendrik Kleyweg.[5]

References

1. Lena Michaëlis. sports-reference.com
2. "Werpen Vrouwen; Periode tot 1945". Nederlandse Atletiek Historici (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 April 2022.
3. "De K.N.A.U.-Kampioenschappen". Twentsch Dagblad Tubantia en Enschedesche Courant. 3 September 1928. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Delpher.
4. Dries, Hans-Peter (2014). Historie van de Nederlandse BAAN-records van 16-10-1886 tot 31-10-2013. Royal Dutch Athletics Federation.
5. "Echtscheidingen", Nederlandsche Staatscourant, 19 August 1939, retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Delpher