Gerda Kraan

Gerda Kraan
	Gerda Kraan in 1961
Personal information
Born	30 July 1933 (age 90); Leiden, the Netherlands
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	65 kg (143 lb)
Sport
Sport	Running
Club	De Bataven, Leiden
Medal record
Representing Netherlands
European Championships

Gerarda "Gerda" Maria Kraan (Dutch: [ɣeːˈrɑrdaː ˈɣɛrdaː maːˈriaː kraːn]; born 30 July 1933) is a retired female middle distance runner from the Netherlands, who twice represented her native country at the Summer Olympics: 1960 (Rome) and 1964 (Tokyo).^[1] In 1962 she won the gold medal in the women's 800 metres race at the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade.

Kraan is the oldest sibling in a family of 14 children. Initially she trained in handball, while working as a police officer, and changed to athletics only in 1954, aged 21. At her first major race in 1958 she improved the Dutch record in the 800 m to 2,16.6. She shaved another 8 seconds from it the next year,^[1] and in 1960 qualified for the Olympics, where she was eliminated in a preliminary round.^[2] After that she worked hard to improve her running technique and fitness, winning five national titles and setting nine national 800 m records between 1958 and 1963. During that period she also competed in 400 m, 440 yd and 880 yd races. In 1962 she won the 800 m European title with a new European record of 2,02.8.^[3] At the next Olympics in 1964 she finished in seventh place in the final of the 800 m.^[1]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c de Graaf, Ben (1999) "Gerda Kraan" in De Top 500, De beste Nederlandse sporters van de eeuw, Premium Press BV Publishers, ISBN 9076574049
^ Gerda Kraan Archived October 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
^ Hemert, W. van (1998) Snelheid, moed en intelligentie: basisvoorwaarden voor de 800 meter Atletiek nr. 2: KNAU

Awards
Preceded by Dini Hobers	KNAU Cup 1959 1961, 1962	Succeeded by Joke Bijleveld
Preceded by Joke Bijleveld	KNAU Cup 1959 1961, 1962	Succeeded by Lia Hinten