Helene Mayer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helene Mayer (1910-1953) was a world champion Olympic fencer who competed for Nazi Germany in the 1936 Summer Olympics, despite having being forced to leave Germany and resettle in the United States because of her Jewish heritage.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Helene Mayer was one of the top 100 female athletes of the 20th century. She had to leave Germany after Hitler's rise to power because her father was Jewish. While attending the University of Southern California in the 1930's, she fenced for the USC Fencing Club.
She returned to Germany to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics, hoping that she might be accepted back into German society. She was not reaccepted, but she did achieve great success at the Olympic Games, winning a silver medal. Controversially, she gave the Nazi salute on the medal stand.
Ultimately, she settled in the United States and had a successful sporting career. She died of cancer at the age of 43.
[edit] Accomplishments
- 1924: German Foil Champion
- 1925: German Foil Champion
- 1926: German Foil Champion
- 1927: German Foil Champion
- 1928: German Foil Champion
- Olympic Gold Metal, Foil, German Team
- Winner Foil, Italian National Championships
- 1929: German Foil Champion
- World Foil Champion
- 1930: German Foil Champion
- 1931: World Foil Champion
- 1932: German Olympic Foil Team
- 1934: U.S. Foil Champion
- 1935: U.S. Foil Champion
- 1936: Olympic Silver Metal, Foil, German Team
- 1937: U.S. Foil Champion
- World Foil Champion
- 1938: U.S. Foil Champion
- 1939: U.S. Foil Champion
- 1941: U.S. Foil Champion
- 1942: U.S. Foil Champion
- 1946: U.S. Foil Champion
- 1963: Inducted into the USFA Hall of Fame
