Marguerite Martel

The best year of Marguerite Martel’s relatively short track and field athletics career came in 1948, when she became the French national long jump champion. This led to her selection for the national delegation to that year’s London Olympics, where she placed 25th in the qualifying round and did not advance. Her only other major international appearance came at the 1950 European Championships, where she was fifth in the pentathlon, despite having won the long jump portion and tied for first in the 80 metres hurdles. She retired from active competition shortly thereafter.

Martel was the daughter of Alphonse Vergeau, who led the French Foch resistance network during World War II. Marguerite was also a liaison officer during the resistance, but she later downplayed her own contributions to the war effort, “Me, I am only a small link. It is especially my father who was extraordinary.” Her husband, Charles Martel, was an aviator during the war. He was summoned to the German Compulsory Labor Service, but in order not to go to Germany, he jumped off the train and went into hiding. He was later mayor of Confolens, their small commune, from 1983-89.

Personal Best: LJ – 5.56 (1950).