Lien Gisolf
Encyclopedia
Carolina Anna "Lien" Gisolf (Fort de Kock-former Dutch East Indies
, July 13, 1910 - Amstelveen
, May 30, 1993) was a Dutch
athlete, who competed mainly in the high jump
in the twenties
and thirties
of last century.
Her talent was discovered during school competition in 1926, when it turned out that she jumped 30 centimetres higher than her classmates. Hardly two years later she established an unofficial Dutch record by jumping 1.465 metres first, on July 3, 1928 in Brussels
followed by a new world record of 1.582 metres, this being achieved in the second match of her life! Perhaps Lien Gisolf herself was the most surprised of all about this achievement. Without telling her the officials in Brussels happened to have moved the bar upward not with the usual two, but with eight centimetres.
The same year Lien Gisolf achieved something that made her most famous: she competed for The Netherlands
in the Olympic Games
held in Amsterdam
, The Netherlands, where she jumped over 1.56 and won the silver medal
. By this achievement she became the first Dutch female athlete to win an Olympic medal.
In the years after she would adjust her world record twice. In 1929 she jumped over 1.608 metres, followed by 1.623 metres in 1932. During the World Games for Female Athletes in Prague
in 1930 Lien Gisolf became second again with 1.57. When she had to jump a barrage with her only opponent left, German
Ellen Braumüller
, she tore a muscle, ruining her victory chances. The German high jump athlete leaped for joy because of this unexpected piece of luck. As a result the 25.000 Prague spectators were furious, refusing to applaud for her during the ceremony, but giving ‘silver’ Lien Gisolf an ovation.
In 1932 she was again present at the Olympic Games
in Los Angeles
. A disappointing fourth place turned out to be the highest possible result for Lien Gisolf. After that she rapidly lost interest in athletics and ended her career after four years. She preferred hockey
after all and took leave with three Dutch championships in the high jump in her pocket.
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
, July 13, 1910 - Amstelveen
Amstelveen
' is a suburban municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the following villages and/or districts: Amstelveen, Bovenkerk, Westwijk, Bankras-Kostverloren, Groenelaan, Waardhuizen,...
, May 30, 1993) was a Dutch
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...
athlete, who competed mainly in the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
in the twenties
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
and thirties
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
of last century.
Her talent was discovered during school competition in 1926, when it turned out that she jumped 30 centimetres higher than her classmates. Hardly two years later she established an unofficial Dutch record by jumping 1.465 metres first, on July 3, 1928 in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
followed by a new world record of 1.582 metres, this being achieved in the second match of her life! Perhaps Lien Gisolf herself was the most surprised of all about this achievement. Without telling her the officials in Brussels happened to have moved the bar upward not with the usual two, but with eight centimetres.
The same year Lien Gisolf achieved something that made her most famous: she competed for 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...
in the Olympic Games
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
held in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, The Netherlands, where she jumped over 1.56 and won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. By this achievement she became the first Dutch female athlete to win an Olympic medal.
In the years after she would adjust her world record twice. In 1929 she jumped over 1.608 metres, followed by 1.623 metres in 1932. During the World Games for Female Athletes in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1930 Lien Gisolf became second again with 1.57. When she had to jump a barrage with her only opponent left, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Ellen Braumüller
Ellen Braumüller
Ellen Braumüller was a track and field athlete from Germany, who competed mainly in the javelin throw. She competed for her native country at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, USA, where she won the silver medal in the javelin throw. She was born and died in Berlin....
, she tore a muscle, ruining her victory chances. The German high jump athlete leaped for joy because of this unexpected piece of luck. As a result the 25.000 Prague spectators were furious, refusing to applaud for her during the ceremony, but giving ‘silver’ Lien Gisolf an ovation.
In 1932 she was again present at the Olympic Games
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. A disappointing fourth place turned out to be the highest possible result for Lien Gisolf. After that she rapidly lost interest in athletics and ended her career after four years. She preferred hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
after all and took leave with three Dutch championships in the high jump in her pocket.