Rosemarie Ackermann

Rosemarie Ackermann

Medal record
Women's Athletics
Competitor for  East Germany
Olympic Games
1976 Montreal High Jump
European Championships
1974 Rome High Jump
1978 Prague High Jump

Rosemarie 'Rosi' Ackermann (born 4 April 1952) is a former East German high jumper. She was the first female high jumper ever to clear the height of 2.00 m, on 26 August 1977 in Berlin.

Biography

She was born as Rosemarie Witschas in Lohsa, Sachsen. Under that name, she took part for East Germany in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, finishing seventh behind Ulrike Meyfarth.

In 1974, at the European Championships in Rome, she won her first international title, setting a new world record (1.95m) along the way. Later that year, she married handball player Manfred Ackermann, and assumed his surname. Two years later, when she won the gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Canada.[1]

Ackermann competing at the Hochsprung mit Musik meeting, which she won in 1980.

She lost her European title to Italian jumper Sara Simeoni in 1978, when they both cleared the world-record height of 2.01 m. Simeoni was Ackermann's rival.[1] However, Ackermann's early celebrations caused the rod to fall, leaving her with second place. Ackermann retired from athletics after the 1980 Olympics, where she placed fourth, just outside the medals.

Ackermann is the last female high jumper to set a world record using the straddle technique. She's also the last high jumper of either gender to win the Olympic gold medal in the high jump event with that technique.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Ackermann, Rosemarie (1952—)". Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Gale Research Inc. Retrieved 8 January 2013.(subscription required)

External links

Records
Preceded by
Bulgaria Yordanka Blagoeva
Women's High Jump World Record Holder
24 August 1972 4 August 1978
Succeeded by
Italy Sara Simeoni
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Romania Nadia Comăneci
United Press International
Athlete of the Year

1977
Succeeded by
United States Tracy Caulkins
Preceded by
East Germany Kornelia Ender
East German Sportswoman of the Year
1977
Succeeded by
East Germany Marita Koch
Preceded by
Soviet Union Tatyana Kazankina
Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
1977
Succeeded by
East Germany Marita Koch
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Unknown
Women's High Jump Best Year Performance
1977
Succeeded by
Italy Sara Simeoni
Preceded by
Italy Sara Simeoni
Women's High Jump Best Year Performance
1979
Succeeded by
Italy Sara Simeoni


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