General · EdgepediaOctober 21, 20263 min read

Lisa Gelius

Lisa Gelius (23 July 1909 – 14 January 2006) was a German athlete from Munich whom World Athletics described at her death, at age 96, as one of the world's outstanding athletes of the 1930s and 1940s.¹^•² She won the javelin throw with 45.58 m at the 1938 European Championships in Vienna, becoming the first women's European champion in that event, and took silver in the 80 m hurdles in 11.7 s.²^•¹^•³^•²^•³ She had equalled the 80 m hurdles world record of 11.6 s in 1934, and her German championship medals comprised 9 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze.²^•¹

Key fact	Detail
Born / died	23 July 1909, Munich; 14 January 2006, Kreuth, aged 96¹^•²
Clubs	TSV 1860 München, from 1932 TSV Jahn München, from 1948 MTV 1879 München⁵
German titles	German champion from 1928 to 1940; 9 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze medals at German championships in total²
1938 European Championships	Gold, javelin throw, 45.58 m; silver, 80 m hurdles, 11.7 s²
World record	Equalled the 80 m hurdles world record of 11.6 s in 1934¹
Personal bests	4 × 100 m relay 48.8 (hand-timed, 1930); 80 m hurdles 11.7 (1938); javelin (old specification) 45.58 m (1938)³

Early career and the Women's World Games

Gelius first appeared at the German championships in 1927, finishing second in the 100 m, and won her first national titles in 1929, taking both the 100 m in 12.5 s and the 200 m in 26.0 s.² In 1930 she added the 100 m title in 12.3 s and a silver in the 200 m, and on 20 July 1930 ran the 4 × 100 m relay in a hand-timed 48.8 at Nürnberg.²^•³

The Women's World Games, the international competition for women athletes organized before women's athletics was fully absorbed into the Olympic program, provided her first major international victories. At the 3rd Women's World Games, held in London in 1934, Stanisława Walasiewicz of Poland won the 60 m sprint in 7.7 s with Gelius second.⁴ In the same year Gelius won the javelin throw at the 1934 Women's World Games in London with 45.58 m.⁵^•⁶

1938 European Championships

The 1938 European Championships in Vienna were the second edition of the women's European championships, and Gelius left them with a gold and a silver. On 18 September 1938 she won the javelin throw with 45.58 m at the Praterstadion, becoming the first women's European champion in that event.²^•¹^•³ The previous day, 17 September, she took second in the 80 m hurdles in 11.7 s.²^•³ World Athletics notes that she had equalled the 80 m hurdles world record of 11.6 s in 1934 before returning to winning form in 1938.¹

German championship record

Gelius's national record shows unusual range across sprints, hurdles, throws, and combined events. Her German championship medals comprised 9 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze: two titles and a silver in the 100 m or 100 yards, one gold and one silver in the 200 m, one title in the 80 m hurdles, four golds, a silver, and a bronze in the javelin throw (600 g implement), and one gold, three silvers, and a bronze in the pentathlon.² Her javelin titles came in 1937 (43.30 m), 1938 (44.00 m), 1939 (44.34 m), and 1940 (42.50 m), and she won the 1938 80 m hurdles title in 11.6 s.² In 1938 she also won pentathlon silver with 399 points on the scoring tables of the time.²

Later career

After the Second World War Gelius resumed competition, running from 1948 for MTV 1879 München, and continued until 1950, when she placed fifth at the German Championships.⁵ She died on Saturday, 14 January 2006, in Kreuth.¹

References

Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Athletics, gymnastics, and strength sports › Athletes of track and field and road running › Sprinters and hurdlers › Hurdlers › Early 20th-century hurdlers

Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026

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