Jump to content

Rosemarie Ackermann

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Rosemarie Witschas)
Rosemarie Ackermann

Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  East Germany
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1976 Montreal High jump
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1974 Rome High jump
Silver medal – second place 1978 Prague High jump

Rosemarie "Rosi" Ackermann (née Witschas; born 4 April 1952) is a German former high jumper, Olympic champion and multiple world record holder. In Berlin on 26 August 1977, she became the first female high jumper to clear a height of two metres.[1]

Biography

[edit]

She was born in Lohsa, Saxony. As Rosemarie Witschas, she represented 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 of 1.95m. Later that year, she married handball player Manfred Ackermann, and assumed his surname.[citation needed] Two years later, when she won the gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Canada.[2]

On 26 August, 1977, she became the first woman to clear 2.00 metres. [3]

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

In 1978, she lost her European title to Italian jumper Sara Simeoni.[2] Ackermann retired from athletics after the 1980 Olympics, at which she placed fourth, just outside the medals.

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

Competing for the sports club SC Cottbus,[4][5] Ackerman was East German high jump champion in 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980, and also won bronze medals in 1969 and 1972. She was the East German indoor champion in 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1980.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Matthews, Peter (2012-03-22). Historical Dictionary of Track and Field. Scarecrow Press. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-8108-7985-0.
  2. ^ a b "Ackermann, Rosemarie (1952—)". Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  3. ^ "Rosemarie Ackermann - First woman to high jump 2 metres - East Germany".
  4. ^ "Leichtathletik - DDR - Meisterschaften (Hochsprung - Damen)" (in German). Sport-Komplett. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Leichtathletik - DDR - Hallen - Meisterschaften (Hochsprung - Damen)" (in German). Sport-Komplett. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
[edit]
Records
Preceded by Women's High Jump World Record Holder
24 August 1972 – 4 August 1978
Succeeded by
Awards and achievements
Preceded by United Press International
Athlete of the Year

1977
Succeeded by
Preceded by East German Sportswoman of the Year
1977
Succeeded by
Preceded by Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
1977
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Unknown
Women's High Jump Best Year Performance
1977
Succeeded by
Preceded by Women's High Jump Best Year Performance
1979
Succeeded by