Annette Roozen
Encyclopedia
Annette Roozen is a Dutch
paraplegic track and field athlete.
When Roozen was sixteen years old her right leg had to be amputed due to osteosarcoma
. Five years later, in 1997 she attended a local sports day for prosthesis
users where her interest in athletics was born. Her first international title came in 2003 when she won the 100 metres
sprint at the European Championships in Assen
in a time of 18.11 seconds, at that time a new European record. That same day she also participated at the long jump
winning the bronze medal with a leap of 2.95 metres. A month later she won two golden medals at the Open German Championships in Wattenscheid
. She broke the World records in both disciplines; 17.85 seconds over 100 metres and 3.19 metres in the long jump. On May 31, 2004 she broke the World record over 100 metres again, this time during the FBK-Games
in Hengelo
to a time of 17.20 seconds. She represented the Netherlands at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
in Athens
, not at the 100 metres, but only at the long jump. She jumped a personal best score of 3.33 metres, but eventually only finished in fifth position, without winning a medal.
In Lelystad
she took part at the 2005 Dutch National Championships, where she won her first national titles, becoming first in both the 100 metres and the long jump. A day later she improved her personal best and national record at the long jump to 3.55 metres during the FBK-Games of that year. She successfully defended her national titles in both disciplines and at the Paralympic Challenge in Duderstadt
at May 20, 2006 she ran a new World record over 100 metres in 16.90 seconds. In Leverkusen
at August 25, 2006 she broke the European record in the long jump to 3.61 metres. Back in her home country in Assen they organized the 2006 World Championships and Roozen became double World Champion. She won the 100 metres in 16.96 seconds and came to a distance of 3.49 metres in the long jump.
In 2007 she did not become the Dutch national 100 metres champion again, but she succeeded for the third consecutive time in the long jump, coming to a distance of 3.50 metres. Despite missing her third national 100 metres title she managed to run a new, but unofficial World record at the Run2Day Track Meetings, coming to a new time of 16.64 seconds. At the 2007 FBK-Games she came to a distance of 3.57 metres in the long jump and she won the 100 metres race in 16.75 seconds, this time an official World record. On June 17, 2007 in Stadskanaal
during the Nelli Cooman-Games
she broke the World record again, this time in 16.57 seconds. She also participated in a race over 200 metres
for the very first time in her career, running straight to a new World record of 34.46 seconds. Due to this effort she won the "Bronze Nelli Cooman Trophy". At the end of the year she was named Dutch sportsperson of the year with a disability (Joke van Rijswijk Trophy), however she had to share the title with Marion Nijhof, a blind swimmer.
On June 1, 2008 at the Open Dutch Championships in Emmeloord
Roozen once again broke the 100 metres World Record to a new best time of 16.48 seconds. She represented the Netherlands at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
in Beijing
where she qualified for the 100 metres and the long jump. Unfortunately for her the 200 metres in her class was not run during the Paralympics. At the long jump she came to 3.23 metres in her first jump, being only in fifth position after. With her second jump of 3.63 metres she jumped further than any of the other athletes did in the first jump, however Christine Wolf
came to 3.65 metres that same round to take the lead. None of the others managed to get over the 3.63, although Ewa Zielinska
came close with 3.62 metres. In the last part of the competition Wolf jumped to 3.73 metres and a new World record in her fifth out of six jumps. Roozen was unable to jump that far and won the silver medal. Zielinska took the bronze.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
paraplegic track and field athlete.
When Roozen was sixteen years old her right leg had to be amputed due to osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma is an aggressive cancerous neoplasm arising from primitive transformed cells of mesenchymal origin that exhibit osteoblastic differentiation and produce malignant osteoid...
. Five years later, in 1997 she attended a local sports day for prosthesis
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
users where her interest in athletics was born. Her first international title came in 2003 when she won the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
sprint at the European Championships in Assen
Assen
Assen is a municipality and a city in the north eastern Netherlands, capital of the province of Drenthe. It received city rights in 1809. Assen's main claim to fame is the TT Circuit Assen the motorcycle racing circuit, where on the last Saturday in June the Dutch TT is run...
in a time of 18.11 seconds, at that time a new European record. That same day she also participated at the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
winning the bronze medal with a leap of 2.95 metres. A month later she won two golden medals at the Open German Championships in Wattenscheid
Wattenscheid
Wattenscheid was once a separate town in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. In 1975 it became part of Bochum. It has a population of about 80,000 citizens. It is a part of the Ruhr area. Some famous firms have their headquarters in Wattenscheid e.g...
. She broke the World records in both disciplines; 17.85 seconds over 100 metres and 3.19 metres in the long jump. On May 31, 2004 she broke the World record over 100 metres again, this time during the FBK-Games
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Francina "Fanny" Elsje Blankers-Koen was a Dutch athlete, best known for winning four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. She accomplished this as a 30 year old mother of two, during a time when many disregarded women's athletics...
in Hengelo
Hengelo
Hengelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city lies along the motorways A1/E30 and A35 and it has a station for the International Amsterdam – Hannover – Berlin service.-Traffic and transport:...
to a time of 17.20 seconds. She represented the Netherlands at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
Netherlands at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
Netherlands competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 95 athletes, 53 men and 42 women. Competitors from Netherlands won 29 medals, including 5 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze to finish 27th in the medal table....
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, not at the 100 metres, but only at the long jump. She jumped a personal best score of 3.33 metres, but eventually only finished in fifth position, without winning a medal.
Lelystad
Lelystad is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands, and it is the capital of the province of Flevoland. The city, built on reclaimed land, was founded in 1967 and was named after Cornelis Lely, who engineered the Afsluitdijk, making the reclamation possible...
she took part at the 2005 Dutch National Championships, where she won her first national titles, becoming first in both the 100 metres and the long jump. A day later she improved her personal best and national record at the long jump to 3.55 metres during the FBK-Games of that year. She successfully defended her national titles in both disciplines and at the Paralympic Challenge in Duderstadt
Duderstadt
Duderstadt is a city in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, located in the district of Göttingen. It is the center and capital of the northern part of the Eichsfeld...
at May 20, 2006 she ran a new World record over 100 metres in 16.90 seconds. In Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
at August 25, 2006 she broke the European record in the long jump to 3.61 metres. Back in her home country in Assen they organized the 2006 World Championships and Roozen became double World Champion. She won the 100 metres in 16.96 seconds and came to a distance of 3.49 metres in the long jump.
Stadskanaal
Stadskanaal is a Canal, municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.The area is known for its peat mining.- Population centres :...
during the Nelli Cooman-Games
Nelli Cooman
Cornelli Antoinette Hariëtte Cooman is a former Dutch athlete of Surinamese origin. She was World Champion twice, six times European Champion and nineteen times national Champion of the Netherlands....
she broke the World record again, this time in 16.57 seconds. She also participated in a race over 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
for the very first time in her career, running straight to a new World record of 34.46 seconds. Due to this effort she won the "Bronze Nelli Cooman Trophy". At the end of the year she was named Dutch sportsperson of the year with a disability (Joke van Rijswijk Trophy), however she had to share the title with Marion Nijhof, a blind swimmer.
On June 1, 2008 at the Open Dutch Championships in Emmeloord
Emmeloord
Emmeloord is the administrative center of the municipality of Noordoostpolder, Flevoland, Netherlands.At the heart of the Noordoostpolder, where the three main drainage canals intersect, is the city of Emmeloord . Emmeloord is in a polder: land reclaimed from the IJsselmeer, which earlier was part...
Roozen once again broke the 100 metres World Record to a new best time of 16.48 seconds. She represented the Netherlands at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Netherlands at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
The Netherlands competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.A total of 83 Dutch competitors took part in 13 sports. The athletes that qualified for the 2008 Summer Paralympics are listed below.-Medalists:- Archery:1 competitor:Women...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
where she qualified for the 100 metres and the long jump. Unfortunately for her the 200 metres in her class was not run during the Paralympics. At the long jump she came to 3.23 metres in her first jump, being only in fifth position after. With her second jump of 3.63 metres she jumped further than any of the other athletes did in the first jump, however Christine Wolf
Christine Wolf
Christine Wolf is a Paralympian athlete born in Germany but now competes for Australia competing mainly in category T42 long jump events....
came to 3.65 metres that same round to take the lead. None of the others managed to get over the 3.63, although Ewa Zielinska
Ewa Zielińska
Ewa Zielińska is a Paralympian athlete from Poland competing mainly in category F42 long jump and T42 sprint events....
came close with 3.62 metres. In the last part of the competition Wolf jumped to 3.73 metres and a new World record in her fifth out of six jumps. Roozen was unable to jump that far and won the silver medal. Zielinska took the bronze.