Eric Lemming

Eric Lemming

Personal information
Full name	Eric Otto Valdemar Lemming
Born	22 February 1880 Gothenburg, Sweden
Died	5 June 1930 (aged 50) Gothenburg, Sweden
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	88 kg (194 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Jumping, throwing
Club	IS Lyckans Soldater, Göteborg; Göteborgs IF
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	HJ – 1.70 m (1900) PV – 3.20 m (1900) LJ – 6.34 m (1906) TJ – 12.72 m (1903) SP – 13.10 m (1918) DT – 44.90 m (1917) HT – 46.84 m (1917) JT – 62.32 m (1912)
Medal record Representing Sweden Intercalated Games 1906 Athens Javelin throw 1906 Athens Shot put 1906 Athens Pentathlon 1906 Athens Tug of war Olympic Games 1908 London Freestyle javelin 1908 London Javelin throw 1912 Stockholm Javelin throw

Eric Otto Valdemar Lemming (22 February 1880 – 5 June 1930) was a Swedish track and field athlete who competed at the 1900, 1906, 1908 and 1912 Olympics in a wide variety of events, which mostly involved throwing and jumping. He had his best results in the javelin throw, which he won at the 1906–1912 Games, and in which he set multiple world records between 1899 and 1912. His last record, measured at 62.32 m, was ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations as the first official world record.

Javelin throw was not part of the 1900 Olympics, where Lemming finished fourth in the hammer throw, high jump and pole vault. At the 1906 Intercalated Games he won a gold medal in the javelin throw and three bronze medals, in the shot put, tug of war and ancient pentathlon, which consisted of a standing long jump, discus throw (ancient style), javelin throw, 192 m run, and a Greco-Roman wrestling match. He also finished fourth in the discus throw and stone throwing contests.

At the 1908 Olympics, Lemming won two gold medals in two types of javelin throw, and finished eighth in the hammer throw. He won another gold medal in the javelin at his last Olympics in 1912, where his half-brother Oscar placed tenth in pentathlon. Lemming died on 5 June 1930 at the age of 50.

Further reading

• De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006..
• Mallon, Bill (1998). The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0-7864-0378-0.