Karoline Beetle

Karoline Beetle

nation

Austria

birthday

31st October 1954 (age 65)

place of birth

Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria

Career

Best performance

23.09 s (200 m)
50.62 s (400 m)

Medal table

European Indoor Championships	0 ×	1 ×	2 ×
Austrian championships	49 ×	0 ×	0 ×

European Indoor Championships
bronze	Milan, 1978	400 m
bronze	Vienna, 1979	400 m
silver	Sindelfingen, 1980	400 m

last change: July 6, 2018

Karoline beetle (* 31 October 1954 in Klagenfurt as Karoline Steringer ) is a former Austrian athlete and successful sprinter . Between 1972 and 1989 she was considered the best sprinter in Austria, won 49 national championship titles in individual competitions, several national championship titles in team competitions and qualified for three Olympic Games and seven European championships. Her greatest successes include winning one silver and two bronze medals in the 400-meter run at the European Indoor Athletics Championships .

She also set Austrian records several times. The record she set over 400 meters in 1977 is still unbroken today and is Austria's oldest record in athletics.

Sports career

As early as 1972 she became national champion in the 100, 200 and 400-meter run, as well as in the 4 x 400-meter relay race . At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich , she started over 200 and 400 meters, successfully completed the preliminary runs, but failed in the intermediate runs. At the 4th European Indoor Championships in 1973 in Rotterdam , she failed with a time of 54.31 s over 400 meters in the lead. At the 11th European Championships from September 1 to 8, 1974 in Rome , she reached sixth place over 400 meters.

In June 1975 she set two new Austrian records over 100 and 200 meters. She was also qualified for the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal , but could not take part due to injury. However, in the same year at the state championships, together with Elisabeth Petutschnig, Angelika Schrott and Gerith Huber, she set a new Austrian stadium record in the 4 x 400 meter relay (3: 53.47 min). On June 18, 1977, she ran a 400-meter run in Klagenfurt in 50.62 seconds, setting an Austrian record for women, which as of 2020 is still unbroken. Also in 1977, together with the runners Merva, Termoth and Bartasek, she set an Austrian stadium record in the 4 x 200 meter relay (1: 44.4 min). In addition, she was again national champion in the 100, 200 and 400 meter run.

At the 9th European Indoor Championships on March 11 and 12, 1978 in Milan , she won the bronze medal over 400 meters with a time of 53.56 s. She only had to admit defeat to Russian Marina Sidorova, who ran an annual best performance of 52.42 seconds, and Italian Rita Bottiglieri (53.18 seconds). Also this year she was national champion in the 100, 200 and 400 meter run, as well as the 4 x 400 meter relay.

On June 10, 1978, she improved the Austrian records over 100 and 200 meters, to 11.43 s and 23.09 s, respectively. Her record over 200 meters could only be set more than 24 years later, in June 2002 by Karin Mayr-Krifka .

At the 10th European Indoor Championships on February 24 and 25, 1979 in Vienna , she won the bronze medal again with 51.90 s over 400 meters and at the same time set a new Austrian indoor record. Käfer had been in the lead right up to the home straight and was only overtaken in the last few meters by the British Verona Elder (51.80 s) and the Czech Jarmila Kratochvílová (51.81 s). In 1979 she also secured the state championships in the 200 and 400 meter races.

At the 11th European Indoor Championships on March 1 and 2, 1980 in Sindelfingen , she won the silver medal over 400 meters with 52.70 seconds. She was only 0.42 seconds behind the winner, Elke Decker. In addition, in 1980 she was national champion in seven disciplines. At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, however, she was eliminated in the lead with 52.82 s over 400 meters.

At the 12th European Indoor Championships on February 21 and 22, 1981 in Grenoble , she reached fourth place with 52.50 s over 400 meters. In this competition she was also convicted of doping with Nortesterone and was the first Austrian athlete to be banned for 18 months.

At the 14th European Indoor Championships on March 5 and 6, 1983 in Budapest , she was able to achieve fifth place with 53.92 s over 400 meters. In 1981 and 1983 she was also national champion in eleven disciplines.

From 1984 she concentrated on longer distances and until 1989 she was eight-time national champion over 800 meters (indoor and outdoor) and two-time national champion over 1500 meters (indoor). She also took part in marathons and achieved her personal best on May 24, 1988 of 2: 55.13 h.

After a few years of calm, she made a kind of comeback as a mountain runner and became national champion in 1997 and 1999. By 2002, she took part in five European championships, where she always placed in the top 40, as well as several national victories. On April 10, 1998, she also completed a half marathon in a personal best of 1: 20.58 hours.

In 2010 she was honored by members and sponsors of the Klagenfurt Athletics Club (KLC) for the periods 1966–1975 and 1976–1985 with the “Poldi” as the most successful athlete of the decade. Their times over the distances 100, 200, 400, 5000, 10,000 meters, half marathon and marathon represent an unbroken record even in 2010 for the women of the club.

National championships

(State championship titles for 4 × 400 m relay are incomplete)

1972: State champion over 100 m open air, 200 m open air, 400 m open air and 4 × 400 m relay
1973: State champion over 100 m open air, 200 m open air and 400 m open air
1974: State champion over 100 m open air, 200 m open air and 400 m open air
1975: State champion over 100 m open air, 200 m open air and 400 m open air
1976: State champion in the 4 × 400 m relay
1977: State champion over 100 m open air, 200 m open air, 400 m open air and 4 × 400 m relay
1978: State champion over 100 m open air, 200 m open air, 400 m open air and 4 × 400 m relay
1979: State champion over 200 m open air and 400 m open air
1980: State champion over 60 m indoor, 200 m indoor, 400 m indoor, 100 m open air, 200 m open air, 400 m open air and 4 × 400 m relay
1981: State champion over 60 m indoor, 200 m indoor, 400 m indoor, 200 m open air and 400 m open air
1982: State champion over 400 m open air
1983: State champion over 200 m indoor, 400 m indoor, 100 m open air, 200 m open air, 400 m open air and 4 × 400 m relay
1984: State champion over 800 m open air, 800 m hall and 4 × 400 m relay
1985: State champion over 800 m open air and 800 m indoor
1986: State champion over 800 m open air, 800 m indoor and 4 × 400 m relay
1987: State champion over 800 m (hall)
1988: State champion over 800 m and 1500 m (hall)
1989: State champion over 1500 m (hall)
1997: State champion in mountain running
1999: State champion in mountain running

Olympic Games and European Championships

Olympic Summer Games 1972: intermediate run (pre-run over 200 m: 24.42 s, intermediate run over 200 m: 23.92 s; lead over 400 m: 53.60 s, intermediate run over 400 m: 52.82 s)
1976 Summer Olympics: Qualified, not taken due to injury
1980 Summer Olympics: heat (52.82 s over 400 m)
4th European Indoor Championships 1973: preliminary run (54.31 s over 400 m)
11th European Athletics Championships 1974: 6th place (51.77 s over 400 m)
9th European Indoor Championships 1978: 3rd place (53.56 s over 400 m)
10th European Indoor Championships 1979: 3rd place (51.90 s over 400 m)
11th European Indoor Championships 1980: 2nd place (52.70 s over 400 m)
12th European Indoor Championships 1981: 4th place (52.50 s over 400 m)
14th European Indoor Championships 1983: 5th place (53.92 s over 400 m)
3rd European Mountain Running Championships 1997: 21st place (54.50 min, third best Austrian)
4th European Mountain Running Championships 1998: 32nd place (41.37 min)
5th European Mountain Running Championships 1999: 25th place (1: 03.23 h, third best Austrian)
7th European Mountain Running Championships 2001: 40th place (1: 08.53 h)
1st European Mountain Running Championships 2002: 35th place (51.04 min, third best Austrian)

Personal best

100 m: 11.43 s (June 10, 1978)
200 m: 23.09 s (June 10, 1978): Austrian record for more than 24 years
400 m: 50.62 s (June 18, 1977): Current and at the same time the oldest still existing track and field record in Austria
800 m: 2: 01.10 min (September 21, 1983)
1000 m: 2: 43.31 min (August 22, 1987)
1500 m: 4: 19.58 min (September 10, 1987)
3000 m: 9: 44.02 min (August 15, 1991)
5000 m: 17: 48.34 min (July 18, 1998)
10,000 m: 36: 36.65 min (May 16, 1998)
Half marathon: 1: 20.58 h (April 10, 1998)
Marathon: 2: 55.13 h (May 24, 1988)

Awards

Carinthian Sportswoman of the Year: 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979 and 1980 (Most awards from a Carinthian sportswoman of all time)
2nd place in the elections for the Austrian female athlete in 1975
Honorary award of the State of Carinthia from the hands of Governor Jörg Haider : 2002 (For all sporting successes)
Poldi: 2010 (As the best female athlete in two decades at the Klagenfurt Athletics Club)

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ 1981 article In: The New York Times
^ "Annemarie Moser and Franz Klammer Austria's athletes 1975" . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna December 20, 1975, p. 14 ( Arbeiter-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).

personal data
SURNAME	Beetle, Karoline
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Steringer, Karoline
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Austrian sprinter and mountain runner
DATE OF BIRTH	October 31, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH	Klagenfurt am Wörthersee

[1] 1981 article In: The New York Times

[2] "Annemarie Moser and Franz Klammer Austria's athletes 1975" . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna December 20, 1975, p. 14 ( Arbeiter-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).