Chris Berger
Encyclopedia
Christiaan David "Chris" Berger (April 27, 1911 – September 12, 1965) was a Dutch
athlete competing in the sprints
.
Born in Amsterdam
, Berger's career highlight was at the first European Championships in Athletics
, held in 1934 in Turin
. There he won both the 100 m
and 200 m
sprints and came in third with the Dutch team at the 4 x 100 metres relay
. Originally the jury had declared the German
athlete Erich Borchmeyer
as winner of the 100 m, which lead to outrage among the spectators who had clearly seen Berger win the race. The jury was eventually convinced to delay its decision after the films of the finish would be available the next day, which showed Berger to have won indeed.
Earlier in 1934 Berger had equaled the world record on the 100 m (10.3 s) in Amsterdam
. His best 200 m time (21.1 s), run in 1930, would remain the Dutch national record until 1965.
Berger participated twice at the Olympics without much success. Much was expected from the Dutch athletes in 1932, but after a 10-day voyage by boat and a week on the train they didn't play much of a role in Los Angeles
. Berger was eliminated in both sprints in the semifinals. In 1936, Berger had passed his peak and was overshadowed in his own country by Tinus Osendarp
and Wil van Beveren, while the Dutch relay team ended up dropping the baton in the finals.
In the period from 1930 until 1934 Chris Berger won eight Dutch titles, four in each sprint event. He ended his career in sports in 1943 and became supervisor of the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam
. He died in Amsterdam in 1965.
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...
athlete competing in the sprints
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
.
Born in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Berger's career highlight was at the first European Championships in Athletics
European Championships in Athletics
The European Athletics Championships is an event organized by the European Athletic Association. It is organised every four years, the same year as the Commonwealth Games and between the Summer Olympic Games cycle. After the 2010 Championships in Barcelona, the European Championships will take...
, held in 1934 in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. There he won both the 100 m
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...
and 200 m
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...
sprints and came in third with the Dutch team at the 4 x 100 metres relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
. Originally the jury had declared the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
athlete Erich Borchmeyer
Erich Borchmeyer
Erich Borchmeyer was a German athlete, who competed mainly in the 100 metres.Borchmeyer was born in Münster. He competed for Germany in the 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, United States in the 4 x 100 metres relay, where he won the silver medal with his team mates Helmut Körnig,...
as winner of the 100 m, which lead to outrage among the spectators who had clearly seen Berger win the race. The jury was eventually convinced to delay its decision after the films of the finish would be available the next day, which showed Berger to have won indeed.
Earlier in 1934 Berger had equaled the world record on the 100 m (10.3 s) in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. His best 200 m time (21.1 s), run in 1930, would remain the Dutch national record until 1965.
Berger participated twice at the Olympics without much success. Much was expected from the Dutch athletes in 1932, but after a 10-day voyage by boat and a week on the train they didn't play much of a role in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Berger was eliminated in both sprints in the semifinals. In 1936, Berger had passed his peak and was overshadowed in his own country by Tinus Osendarp
Tinus Osendarp
Martinus Bernardus Osendarp was a Dutch athlete, excelling in the sprint events.Born in Delft, Osendarp won two bronze medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in the 100 and 200 m sprint events...
and Wil van Beveren, while the Dutch relay team ended up dropping the baton in the finals.
In the period from 1930 until 1934 Chris Berger won eight Dutch titles, four in each sprint event. He ended his career in sports in 1943 and became supervisor of the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam
Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)
The Olympisch Stadion is a stadium built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. When completed, the stadium had a capacity of 31,600. Following the completion of the rival De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam in 1937, the Amsterdam authorities decided to increase the capacity of the...
. He died in Amsterdam in 1965.
External links
- Article on Berger (Dutch)