Enith Brigitha
Encyclopedia
Enith Sijtje Maria Brigitha (born April 15, 1955 in Willemstad
, Curaçao
) was one of Holland's leading swimmers in the 1970s, who represented the Netherlands
twice at the Summer Olympics, starting in 1972
(Munich
, West Germany
). She won two bronze medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics
in Montreal, Canada, in the women's 100 m and 200 m freestyle
. Brigitha twice was named Dutch Sportswoman of the Year, in 1973 and 1974. Enith was the first black athlete to win a swimming medal in the Olympics.
Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles
Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Formerly the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to its dissolution in 2010, it has an estimated population of 140,000. The historic centre of...
, Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
) was one of Holland's leading swimmers in the 1970s, who represented the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
twice at the Summer Olympics, starting in 1972
Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, West Germany, 29 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 532 participants from 52 countries competing....
(Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
). She won two bronze medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal, Canada, in the women's 100 m and 200 m freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
. Brigitha twice was named Dutch Sportswoman of the Year, in 1973 and 1974. Enith was the first black athlete to win a swimming medal in the Olympics.