Wil van Beveren

In a period when Tinus Osendarp and Chris Berger were internationally renowned athletes, Wil van Beveren was the third best Dutch sprinter. At the 1936 Olympics, he made the final in the 200 (placing sixth), and the semi-finals in the 100 metres. A likely relay medal was lost when anchor and two-time bronze medallist Osendarp dropped the baton. At the European Championships in Paris 1938, Van Beveren was favored for a medal in the 100 m, but to his own disappointment placed only fourth. Wil van Beveren earned three Dutch titles in his career, winning the 200 m in 1937 and claiming the sprint double in 1939. After the war, Van Beveren became a sports journalist, first for weekly magazine Sport & Sportwereld, and for the local newspaper Emmer Courant. Two of Wil’s sons, Jan and Wil Jr. became professional football players. Jan was the most notable of the two, playing 32 matches in the Dutch national team as a goalkeeper in the late 1960s and 1970s and earning three Dutch titles with PSV Eindhoven.

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.4 (1938); 200 – 21.4 (1936).