Elisabeth (called Lisa) Gelius, one of the world’s outstanding athletes of the 1930s and 40s, died on Saturday, 14 January at the age of 96 years. The 1930 (Prague, CZE) and 1934 (London, GBR) Women’s World Games gold medal winner in the Javelin Throw with 42.23m and 45.58 respectively, Gelius was one of the favourites to win her event at the Olympic Games in 1936, but an injury prevented her from participating in the Berlin Games. In 1938 though Lisa Gelius, who in 1934 egualled the 80m hurdles World record with 11.6, was back in winning shape becoming the first women’s European champion in the Javelin Throw with 45.58m.
During her career, Gelius who won a dozen German national titles from 1928 to 1940, competed for three athletic clubs, all based in Munich: In her first 6 years of her career she was a club member of TSV 1860 München, from 1932 of the Turnerschaft Jahn München and from 1948 on she competed for the MTV 1879 München.
At the age of 41 and only 5 years after the World War II was over, she participated in the German Championships in Stuttgart in 1950. With a fifth place in the final she finished her successful career.
Gustav Schwenk for the IAAF
