Maria ("Mia") Francisca Philomena Hoogakker-Gommers (born 26 September 1939) is a Dutch retired athlete, who competed mainly in the 800 metres and competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Biography
Gommers was the second female world record-holder over 1500 metres in October 1967 at Sittard, Netherlands, breaking the record of Anne Smith, who set the record in June of that year, by almost two seconds.[1]
Gommers competed for the Netherlands at the 1968 Olympics Games held in Mexico City, Mexico. in the 800 metres, where she won the bronze medal.[2]
On 14 June 1969 she also broke Smith's world record on the mile in an event in Leicester, England. One month later she won the British WAAA Championships title in the 1500 metres event at the 1969 WAAA Championships.[3][4][5]
At the 1969 European Championships in Athletics in Athens on 20 September 1969, she ran below Paola Pigni's new 1500 m record, but was beaten to the finish by Jaroslava Jehlickova.
In 1969 she was chosen the Dutch female sportsperson of the year.[6]
References
- ^ World record progression at athletix.org
- ^ Mia Gommers. sports-reference.com
- ^ "Hyman Back In Glory". Sunday Mirror. 20 July 1969. Retrieved 4 March 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "AAA Championships (women)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ Tuenter, Geertje (25 June 2024). "Maria Gommers won in 1968 brons op de eerste olympische 800 meter" [Maria Gommers won the bronze medal in 1968 at the first Olympic 800 metres]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 July 2024.
Maria Gommers werd in 1969 sportvrouw van het jaar in Nederland.
[Maria Gommers was elected Dutch sports woman of the year in 1969.]
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