Ulrike Meyfarth facts for kids

Meyfarth in 2012
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	4 May 1956 (1956-05-04) (age 69) Frankfurt am Main, West Germany
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	70 kilograms (154 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	High jump
Club	LG Rhein-Ville ASV Köln Bayer Leverkusen
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	2.03 m (1983)
Medal record Representing  West Germany Olympic Games Gold 1972 Munich High jump Gold 1984 Los Angeles High Jump World championships Silver 1983 Helsinki High jump European championships Gold 1982 Athens High jump European indoor championships Gold 1982 Milan High jump Gold 1984 Gothenburg High jump

Ulrike Nasse-Meyfarth (born May 4, 1956) is a famous German athlete. She was a high jumper who won two Olympic gold medals. She won her first gold in 1972 and her second in 1984. This made her both the youngest and, later, the oldest Olympic champion in women's high jump!

Ulrike Meyfarth's Amazing High Jump Career

Meyfarth on a stamp from Ajman

Ulrike Meyfarth's sports journey began very quickly. In 1971, when she was just fifteen, she finished second at the West German Championships. The next year, she joined the West German team for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Ulrike was one of the few high jumpers using the "Fosbury Flop" style. This new way of jumping was first shown by Dick Fosbury at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Not many people expected Ulrike to win, as her best jump was 1.85 meters.

But in front of her home crowd, she jumped amazingly well! She improved her personal best by 5 centimeters, reaching 1.90 meters. This was enough to win the gold medal. She then jumped another 2 centimeters, matching the world record of 1.92 meters. At just 16 years old, she became the youngest Olympic champion in an individual athletics event.

After this surprising win, her career slowed down for a while. She didn't improve her 1.92-meter record until 1978. She didn't win any major titles during this time. She placed 7th and 5th at the European Championships in 1974 and 1978. She also didn't reach the high jump final at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. She couldn't compete in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because West Germany did not attend.

1982 was a great comeback year for Ulrike. She won the European indoor and outdoor championships. She also set a new world record of 2.02 meters at the outdoor event. In 1983, she came in second at the first IAAF World Championships in Athletics. She had a close competition with Tamara Bykova, whom she had beaten the year before.

Later that year, in London, both Ulrike and Tamara jumped 2.03 meters, setting another new world record. Just four days later, Tamara Bykova jumped one centimeter higher.

The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles was Ulrike Meyfarth's last big competition. Many of her strongest rivals, including Tamara Bykova, were not there. This was because several countries did not attend those Olympics. Ulrike defeated Italy's Sara Simeoni, who was the reigning Olympic champion. She jumped 2.02 meters to win her second Olympic gold medal. This time, Ulrike Meyfarth was the oldest woman to win the Olympic high jump title.

She started her career with the LG Rhein-Ville club. She won a national silver medal in West Germany in 1971 and a bronze in 1972. Then she joined ASV Köln. She became the West German champion in 1973, 1975, 1979, and from 1980 to 1983. She also won another bronze medal in 1976 and silver medals in 1978 and 1984.

Ulrike's Life After Sports

In 1987, Ulrike married Roland Nasse, a lawyer. They have two daughters and live in Odenthal, a town near Cologne.

Ulrike Nasse-Meyfarth studied at the Deutschen Sporthochschule Köln (DSK). She is a qualified sports teacher. Since 1997, she has worked as a trainer and talent scout for the German sports club TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Images for kids

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  Meyfarth on a stamp from Ajman

See also

In Spanish: Ulrike Meyfarth para niños