Esther Brand

For the British actress, see Esther Brand (actress).

Esther Brand
Esther Brand at the 1952 Olympics
Personal information
Born(1922-09-29)29 September 1922
Springbok, Northern Cape, South Africa
Died20 June 2015(2015-06-20) (aged 92)
Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)High jump, discus throw
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)HJ – 1.67 m (1952)
DT – 40.30 m(1952)[1][2]
Medal record
Representing  South Africa
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1952 Helsinki High jump

Esther Cornelia Brand (née van Heerden; 29 September 1922 – 20 June 2015) was a South African athlete. She competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in the high jump, placed 20th in the discus throw. She was the first African woman to win an Olympic track and field event. Brand was ranked world #1 in the high jump in 1940–41 and 1952, #3 in 1951 and #5 in 1939. In 1941 she equaled the world record of 1.66 m.[1]

Born in Springbok, Northern Cape, she attended Maitland High School in Cape Town, South Africa.[1] She died after a fall in 2015.[3]

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