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 on May 4, 1956, is a famous German former high jumper. She achieved incredible success by winning the Olympic high jump title twice. Her first win was in 1972, and her second was in 1984. This makes her unique: she was the youngest Olympic champion in women's high jump and, later, the oldest to win the title.

Ulrike Meyfarth's Amazing Career

Early Start in High Jump

Meyfarth on a stamp of Ajman

Ulrike Meyfarth's journey in athletics began very quickly. In 1971, when she was just fifteen years old, she already earned second place at the West German Championships. The next year, she joined the West German team for the 1972 Summer Olympics. These games were held in Munich, her home country.

Olympic Gold in Munich (1972)

Meyfarth was one of the few athletes using a new high jumping style. This style, called the "Fosbury Flop," was first shown by Dick Fosbury in 1968. Not many people expected Ulrike to win. Her personal best jump was 1.85 meters. However, in front of the cheering home crowd, she performed amazingly. She improved her personal best by 5 centimeters, jumping 1.90 meters. This jump was enough to win her the gold medal! She then jumped even higher, reaching 1.92 meters. This jump equaled the world record at the time. At only 16 years old, she became the youngest Olympic champion in an individual athletics event.

Challenges and Comeback

After her surprising victory, Ulrike's career slowed down for a while. She did not improve her 1.92-meter mark until 1978. She didn't win any major titles during this time. For example, she placed 7th and 5th at the European Championships in 1974 and 1978. She also did not reach the final at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Because West Germany did not participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, she could not compete there.

Return to Success in the 1980s

The year 1982 marked Ulrike Meyfarth's big comeback. She won both the European indoor and outdoor championships. During the outdoor championships, she set a new world record by jumping 2.02 meters. In 1983, she came in second at the first World Championships. She had a close competition with Tamara Bykova, whom she had beaten the year before. At a competition in London, both Meyfarth and Bykova cleared 2.03 meters, setting another new world record. Just four days later, Bykova jumped even higher, adding another centimeter to the record.

Second Olympic Gold in Los Angeles (1984)

The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles was Ulrike Meyfarth's final big competition. Some of her strongest rivals, like Tamara Bykova, were not there. This was because many countries from the East Bloc did not participate in 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.

Club Career and National Titles

Ulrike started her athletic journey with the club LG Rhein-Ville. She became the West German national silver medalist in 1971 and a bronze medalist in 1972. Later, she joined ASV Köln. With this club, she became the West German champion in 1973, 1975, 1979, and from 1980 to 1983. She also earned another bronze medal in 1976 and silver medals in 1978 and 1984.

Ulrike Meyfarth's Personal Life

In 1987, Ulrike married Roland Nasse, who is a lawyer from Cologne. They have two daughters together. The family lives in Odenthal, a town located north of 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. She works for the German sports club TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

International Competitions Results

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing  West Germany
1971	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	30th (q)	1.68 m
1972	Olympic Games	Munich, West Germany	1st	1.92 m
1973	European Junior Championships	Duisburg, West Germany	2nd	1.80 m
1974	European Championships	Rome, Italy	7th	1.83 m
1976	European Indoor Championships	Munich, West Germany	2nd	1.89 m
	Olympic Games	Montreal, Canada	22nd (q)	1.78 m
1978	European Championships	Prague, Czechoslovakia	5th	1.91 m
1979	European Indoor Championships	Vienna, Austria	3rd	1.80 m
	Universiade	Mexico City, Mexico	2nd	1.92 m
1980	European Indoor Championships	Sindelfingen, West Germany	11th	1.80 m
1981	European Indoor Championships	Grenoble, France	4th	1.88 m
	World Cup	Rome, Italy	1st	1.96 m1
1982	European Indoor Championships	Milan, Italy	1st	1.99 m
	European Championships	Athens, Greece	1st	2.02 m (WR)
1983	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	2nd	1.99 m
1984	European Indoor Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	1st	1.95 m
	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, United States	1st	2.02 m (OR)

¹ Representing Europe

See also

In Spanish: Ulrike Meyfarth para niños