Ragnhild Hveger

Ragnhild Hveger

Ragnhild Hveger c. 1937
Personal information
Born 10 December 1920
Nyborg, Denmark
Died 1 December 2011 (aged 90)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Club Helsingør Svømmeklub
DKG, København

Ragnhild Tove Hveger (later Andersen, 10 December 1920 1 December 2011)[1] was a swimmer from Denmark, who won the silver medal in the women's 400 m freestyle at the 1936 Summer Olympics.[2]

From 1936 to 1943 she set 44 world records, and at one time she held 19 world records in different distances and disciplines.[3] In 1937 she won three gold medals at the world championships. Unfortunately for her, the Olympic Games were not held in 1940 or 1944.

Daughter of a Nazi, sister of an east front volunteer, married to a German officer, she became very unpopular after the war, and was barred from the Danish team for the 1948 Olympics.[4] She competed at the 1952 Olympics and finished fourth in the 4×100 m and fifth in the 400 m freestyle events.[2] Hveger retired in 1954 after ending fifth in the 100 m freestyle at the European Championships.[5]

In 1966 she was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame[3] and 30 years later declared sportswoman of the century by Danmarks Idræts-Forbund.

References

  1. Ritzau (10 December 2011). "Århundredets danske sportskvinde er død" (in Danish). Kristeligt Dagblad. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Ragnhild Hveger sports-reference.com
  3. 3.0 3.1 RAGNHILD HVEGER (DEN). ISHOF
  4. "Ragnhild Hveger". London: Telegraph. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-23.
  5. Ragnhild HVEGER. the-sports.org

External links

Records
Preceded by
Netherlands Rie van Veen
Women's 200 metres freestyle
world record holder (long course)

11 September 1938 25 February 1956
Succeeded by
Australia Dawn Fraser
Preceded by
Netherlands Willy den Ouden
Women's 400 metres freestyle
world record holder (long course)

10 February 1937 25 August 1956
Succeeded by
Australia Lorraine Crapp
Preceded by
United States Lenore Kight
Women's 800 metres freestyle
world record holder (long course)

3 July 1936 28 June 1953
Succeeded by
Hungary Valerie Gyenge
Preceded by
Denmark Grete Frederiksen
Women's 1500 metres freestyle
world record holder (long course)

3 July 1938 23 July 1955
Succeeded by
Netherlands Lenie de Nijs
Preceded by
Netherlands Nida Senff
Women's 200 metres backstroke
world record holder (long course)

14 February 1937 17 April 1938
Succeeded by
Netherlands Cor Kint