Micheline Ostermeyer

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexFemale
Full nameMicheline Odette Mary•Ostermeyer (-Ghazarian)
Used nameMicheline•Ostermeyer
Born23 December 1922 in Rang-du-Fliers, Pas-de-Calais (FRA)
Died17 October 2001 in Bois-Guillaume, Seine-Maritime (FRA)
Measurements179 cm / 73 kg
AffiliationsOrientale, Tunis
NOC France
Medals OG
Gold 2
Silver 0
Bronze 1
Total 3

Biography

Although most attention during the 1948 Olympic track and field tournament went to Fanny Blankers-Koen, the performances of Micheline Ostermeyer are no less impressive. Like Blankers-Koen, she was highly versatile athlete, and won national titles in sprints, hurdles, high jump, shot put, discus and pentathlon, for a total of 13 titles. She competed in three Olympic events, winning gold in the shot put and discus throw while coming third in the high jump. At the 1946 European Championships held in Oslo she won silver in shot put and finished fifth in high jump. Four years later she won bronze in 80 metres hurdles as well as in shot put, and finished fourth in discus throw at the 1950 European Championships held in Brussels. Ostermeyer, who grew up in Tunisia, was also a moderately successful piano player. In 1948, she graduated from the Conservatoire National, and won several important piano competitions. Athletics was much easier for her: “I practise five hours a day on the piano, and five hours a week for athletics”, she once noted.

Personal Bests: HJ – 1.61 (1946); SP – 13.79 (1948); DT – 44.40 (1950).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1948 Summer Olympics Athletics FRA Micheline Ostermeyer
4 × 100 metres Relay, Women (Olympic) France DNS
High Jump, Women (Olympic) 3 Bronze
Shot Put, Women (Olympic) 1 Gold
Discus Throw, Women (Olympic) 1 Gold

Special Notes