Helen Stephens

Helen Stephens 1936

Helen Stephens ( Helen Herring Stephens ; born February 3, 1918 in Fulton , Missouri , † January 17, 1994 in St. Louis , Missouri) was an American athlete . She was a successful short-distance runner, but also won national championship titles in the shot put and discus throw .

biography

At the age of only 18, she won the 100-meter run at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, ahead of the defending champion Stanisława Walasiewicz . Her time of 11.5 s was below the world record , but was not recognized because the tail wind was too strong. Stephens also won gold in the 4 x 100 meter relay five days later after the favored Germans lost the baton.

Just a year later, Stephens quit athletics and played baseball and softball professionally for several years . Also in 1936 she was awarded the Sportsman of the Year award from the Associated Press honored. From 1938 to 1952 she was the owner and manager of a semi-professional basketball team.

Sharon Kinney Hanson: The Life of Helen Stephens: The Fulton Flash. Southern Illinois University Press, 2004, ISBN 0809325594

personal data
SURNAME	Stephens, Helen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Stephens, Helen Herring (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American athlete
DATE OF BIRTH	February 3, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH	Fulton, Missouri
DATE OF DEATH	17th January 1994
Place of death	St. Louis