Rie Mastenbroek facts for kids
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
26 February 1919|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 6 November 2003 Rotterdam, Netherlands |
(aged 84)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strokes | Freestyle, backstroke | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Rie Mastenbroek was a super talented swimmer from the Netherlands. Her full name was Hendrika Wilhelmina Mastenbroek. She was born on February 26, 1919, and passed away on November 6, 2003. Rie became a triple Olympic champion, which means she won three gold medals at the Olympic Games!
Contents
Early Life and Training
Rie was born in Rotterdam, a big city in the Netherlands. She started swimming when she was young. Her coach was a famous person named "Ma" Braun. Ma Braun had already coached her own daughter to win an Olympic gold medal in 1928. This shows Rie was in good hands!
European Championships Success
In 1934, Rie showed how amazing she was at swimming. She competed in the European Championships. There, she won three gold medals and one silver medal. This was a huge achievement for such a young swimmer.
Olympic Glory in 1936
Rie's biggest moment came at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. She was only 17 years old at the time. She won three gold medals, just like she did at the European Championships!
- She won the 100-meter freestyle race.
- She also won the 400-meter freestyle race.
- Her third gold medal was in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. This is a team race where four swimmers each swim 100 meters.
Rie also won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke race. She came in second behind her teammate, Nida Senff. Nida had a bit of a tricky race but still managed to win!
Life After Competition
The year after the Olympics, Rie decided to become a swimming instructor. Because she started working as a professional instructor, she could no longer compete in amateur sports like the Olympics. This meant her amazing competitive swimming career ended quite early.
Legacy and Recognition
During her swimming career, Rie Mastenbroek broke nine world records! Six of these records were in backstroke, and three were in freestyle.
Many years later, in 1968, Rie was honored for her achievements. She was put into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. This is a special place that celebrates the greatest swimmers of all time. In 1997, she received the Olympic Order, which is a high award from the International Olympic Committee.
Rie passed away in her hometown of Rotterdam when she was 84 years old. After she died, a special award called the Rie Mastenbroek Trophy was named after her. This award helps keep her memory and her incredible swimming achievements alive.
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame