Rie Mastenbroek

Rie Mastenbroek

Personal information
Full name	Hendrika Wilhelmina Mastenbroek
National team	Netherlands
Born	(1919-02-26)26 February 1919 Rotterdam, Netherlands
Died	6 November 2003(2003-11-06) (aged 84) Rotterdam, Netherlands
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, backstroke
Medal record Women’s swimming Representing the  Netherlands Summer Olympics 1936 Berlin 100 m freestyle 1936 Berlin 400 m freestyle 1936 Berlin 4×100 m freestyle 1936 Berlin 100 m backstroke European Championships 1934 Magdeburg 400 m freestyle 1934 Magdeburg 100 m backstroke 1934 Magdeburg 4×100 m freestyle 1934 Magdeburg 100 m freestyle

Hendrika "Rie" Wilhelmina Mastenbroek (26 February 1919 – 6 November 2003) was a Dutch swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.^[1]

Biography

Born in Rotterdam, she started swimming under the coaching of "Ma" Braun, who had coached her daughter to an Olympic gold medal in 1928. In 1934, Mastenbroek won three gold medals and a silver at the European Championships.^[2]

She repeated that performance at the 1936 Summer Olympics, aged only 17, winning the 100 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle and the 4×100 m freestyle. In the 100 m backstroke, she finished second behind teammate Nida Senff. (Senff missed a turning point and had to swim back before completing the last 50 m. She nevertheless beat Mastenbroek thanks to an outstanding last leg.)^[1]

The following year she became a swimming instructor, thereby losing her amateur status and becoming ineligible for competition.

During her career she broke nine world records (six for backstroke and three for freestyle). In 1968 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. In 1997 she received the Olympic Order.

She died at age 84 in Rotterdam. After her death, Stichting Aquarius named the Rie Mastenbroek Trophy after her.

References