Rosemarie Ackermann facts for kids
.jpg) |
||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's athletics | ||
Representing  East Germany |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1976 Montreal | High jump |
| European Championships | ||
| Gold | 1974 Rome | High jump |
| Silver | 1978 Prague | High jump |
Rosemarie "Rosi" Ackermann (born Rosemarie Witschas on April 4, 1952) is a famous German athlete. She was a high jumper who won an Olympic gold medal and set several world records. She made history on August 26, 1977, in Berlin, by becoming the first woman ever to jump two meters high!
Contents
Rosi's Early Life and Career
Rosi Ackermann was born in Lohsa, a town in Saxony, Germany. When she was younger, her name was Rosemarie Witschas. She competed for East Germany in the sport of athletics, specifically in the high jump.
Her first big international competition was the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. She finished seventh in the high jump event.
Becoming a Champion
In 1974, Rosi competed at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. This was a very important event for her. She won her first major international title there. Even better, she set a new world record by jumping 1.95 meters!
Later that same year, she married a handball player named Manfred Ackermann. She then started using his last name, becoming Rosemarie Ackermann.
Olympic Gold Medal
Two years after her European win, Rosi went to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. This was her moment to shine! She won the gold medal in the high jump, becoming an Olympic champion.
Making History: The Two-Meter Jump
On August 26, 1977, Rosi Ackermann did something amazing. She became the very first woman in history to clear a height of 2.00 meters (which is about 6 feet, 6.7 inches) in the high jump. This was a huge achievement in the world of athletics!
Later Career and Retirement
In 1978, Rosi competed again at the European Championships. She won a silver medal, but the gold went to Italian jumper Sara Simeoni.
Rosi Ackermann retired from athletics after the 1980 Summer Olympics. At those Olympics, she finished fourth, just missing out on another medal.
The Straddle Technique
Rosi Ackermann is known for using a special way of jumping called the straddle technique. In this technique, jumpers go over the bar face down, with their legs straddling the bar. She was the last female high jumper to set a world record using this method. She was also the last high jumper, male or female, to win an Olympic gold medal using the straddle technique. Most high jumpers today use a different style called the Fosbury Flop.
National Success
Rosi competed for the sports club SC Cottbus. She was a very successful high jumper in East Germany. She won the East German high jump championship many times: in 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, and 1980. She also won bronze medals in 1969 and 1972. Indoors, she was the East German champion in 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1980.
See also
