American athlete
Helen Stephens
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
[1] Height 5 ft 11+ 1 ⁄2 in (182 cm)[1] Weight 154 lb (70 kg)[1] Sport Athletics Event(s) 100 m, 200 m, shot put, discus throw Personal best(s) 100 yd – 10.4 (1935) 100 m – 11.5 (1936) 200 m – 24.1 (1936) shot put −13.70 m (1937) discus – 39.50 m (1936)
Helen Herring Stephens (February 3, 1918 – January 17, 1994) was an American
champion in 1936.
Biography
Stephens, nicknamed the "Fulton Flash" after her birthplace, Fulton, Missouri , was a strong athlete in sprint events—she never lost a race in her entire career—and also in weight events such as the shot put and discus throw . She won national titles in both categories.
When she was 18, Stephens participated in the
4 × 100 m relay team that won the Olympic title after the leading
German team dropped its baton.
Stephens is quoted by Olympic historian, David Wallechinsky, about her post-race experience with Adolf Hitler .[3] "He comes in and gives me the Nazi salute. I gave him a good, old-fashioned Missouri handshake," she said. "Once more Hitler goes for the jugular vein. He gets hold of my fanny and begins to squeeze and pinch, and hug me up. And he said: 'You're a true Aryan type. You should be running for Germany.' So after he gave me the once over and a full massage, he asked me if I'd like to spend the weekend in Berchtesgaden." Stephens refused.[3] [4]
Stephens retired from athletics shortly after the games and played professional baseball and softball . She attended William Woods University , Fulton High School, and Middle River School in Fulton. From 1938 to 1952, she was the owner and manager of her own semi-professional basketball team; she was the first woman to own and manage a semi-professional basketball team.[5] She was employed for many years in the Research Division of the U.S. Aeronautical Chart and Information Service (later, a part of the Defense Mapping Agency ) in St. Louis , Missouri.
Her longtime partner was Mabel O. Robbe (née Wires), a dietician at Francis Shimer College .[6] [7]
In 1993, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame .[8]
She died in Saint Louis at age 75.[9]
Gender
At the 1936 Olympics, it was suggested that both Stephens and Stanisława Walasiewicz were, in fact, male.[10] The International Olympic Committee performed a physical check on Stephens and concluded that she was a woman.[11]
Bibliography
The Life of Helen Stephens – The Fulton Flash , by Sharon Kinney Hanson, 2004.
References
^ a b c d e f g h "Helen Stephens" . sports-reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 23, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015 .
^ Alan Gould (December 15, 1936). "Helen Stephens is best athlete: Missouri's Olympic star wins Associated Press honor" . Lawrence Journal-World . Retrieved August 23, 2016 .
^ a b c Gillon, Doug. "Hitler pinched my bottom" . The Herald . Retrieved October 7, 2008 .
.
^ "Did you know?" . Mc Cook Gazette . November 7, 2005. Retrieved August 23, 2016 .
^ "In Memoriam - 31 Oct 1986, Fri • Main Edition • Page 20" . St. Louis Post-Dispatch : 20. 1986. Retrieved January 22, 2018 .
^ "The State Historical Society of Missouri collection on Helen Stephens – Biographical Sketch" (PDF) . Retrieved June 7, 2018 .
^ National Women's Hall of Fame, Helen Stephens
^ "Olympic start Stephens dies" . Times-News (Henderson, NC) . January 19, 1994. Retrieved August 23, 2016 .
^ "Caster Semenya expected to be affected by IAAF rule changes" . BBC Sport . Retrieved April 26, 2018 .
^ "Helen Stephens is real girl" . Harrisburg Telegraph . August 6, 1936. p. 14. Retrieved August 23, 2016 .
External links
1928 : Bobbie Rosenfeld , Ethel Smith , Jane Bell , Myrtle Cook (CAN )
1932 : Mary Carew , Evelyn Furtsch , Annette Rogers , Wilhelmina von Bremen (USA )
1936 : Harriet Bland , Annette Rogers , Betty Robinson , Helen Stephens (USA )
1948 : Xenia Stad-de Jong , Netti Witziers-Timmer , Gerda van der Kade-Koudijs , Fanny Blankers-Koen (NED )
1952 : Mae Faggs , Barbara Jones , Janet Moreau , Catherine Hardy (USA )
1956 : Shirley Barbara de la Hunty , Norma Croker , Fleur Mellor , Betty Cuthbert (AUS )
1960 : Martha Hudson , Lucinda Williams , Barbara Jones , Wilma Rudolph (USA )
1964 : Teresa Ciepły , Irena Kirszenstein , Halina Górecka , Ewa Kłobukowska (POL )
1968 : Barbara Ferrell , Margaret Bailes , Mildrette Netter , Wyomia Tyus (USA )
1972 : Christiane Krause , Ingrid Mickler , Annegret Richter , Heide Rosendahl (FRG )
1976 : Marlies Göhr , Renate Stecher , Carla Bodendorf , Bärbel Wöckel (GDR )
1980 : Romy Müller , Bärbel Wöckel , Ingrid Auerswald , Marlies Göhr (GDR )
1984 : Alice Brown , Jeanette Bolden , Chandra Cheeseborough , Evelyn Ashford (USA )
1988 : Alice Brown , Sheila Echols , Florence Griffith Joyner , Evelyn Ashford , Dannette Young (USA )
1992 : Evelyn Ashford , Esther Jones , Carlette Guidry , Gwen Torrence , Michelle Finn (USA )
1996 : Gail Devers , Inger Miller , Chryste Gaines , Gwen Torrence , Carlette Guidry (USA )
2000 : Savatheda Fynes , Chandra Sturrup , Pauline Davis-Thompson , Debbie Ferguson , Eldece Lewis (BAH )
2004 : Tayna Lawrence , Sherone Simpson , Aleen Bailey , Veronica Campbell , Beverly McDonald (JAM )
2008 : Olivia Borlée , Hanna Mariën , Élodie Ouédraogo , Kim Gevaert (BEL )
2012 : Tianna Madison , Allyson Felix , Bianca Knight , Carmelita Jeter , Jeneba Tarmoh , Lauryn Williams (USA )
2016 : Tianna Bartoletta , Allyson Felix , Tori Bowie , English Gardner , Morolake Akinosun (USA )
2020 : Briana Williams , Elaine Thompson-Herah , Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce , Shericka Jackson , Natasha Morrison , Remona Burchell (JAM )
1923–1979 Amateur Athletic Union 1980–1992 The Athletics Congress 1993–present USA Track & Field Notes
OT : 1928, 1932, and since 1992, championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
2020 OT : The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Distance : The event was over 100 yards until 1927; from 1929 to 1931, 1955, 1957 to 1958, 1961 to 1962, 1965 to 1966, 1969 to 1970 and 1973 to 1974.
1926–1979Amateur Athletic Union 1980–1992The Athletics Congress 1993–presentUSA Track & Field Notes
OT : 1928, 1932, and since 1992, championships incorporated the Olympic Trials in Olympic years, otherwise held as a discrete event.
Distance :The event was over 220 yards until 1932, 1955, 1957-8, 1961-3, 1965-6, 1969-70 and 1973-4
2020 OT : The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
1923–1979Amateur Athletic Union 1980–1992The Athletics Congress 1993 onwardsUSA Track & Field Notes
Since 1992, the championships has incorporated the Olympic Trials in Olympic years, otherwise held as a discrete event.
2020 OT : The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
1923–1979Amateur Athletic Union 1980–1992The Athletics Congress 1993–presentUSA Track & Field Notes
OT : Since 1992, championships incorporated the Olympic Trials in Olympic years, otherwise held as a discrete event.
2020 OT : The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
1927–1979Amateur Athletic Union 1980–1992The Athletics Congress 1993–presentUSA Track & Field Notes *Distances have varied as follows: 40 yards (1927–32), 50 meters (1933–54), 50 yards (1956–64), 60 yards (1965–86), 55 meters (1987–90)
Qualification Men's track and road athletes Men's field athletes Women's track athletes Women's field athletes Non-competing relay pool members Coaches
1990–1999
1990 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1998
2000–2009
2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2007 2009
International National People