Sports Physician - Athlete 1954
1954
At the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Swedish fencer Johan Harmenberg (1954) won the gold épée medal. Four years earlier in Montreal, he had won the same medal with the Swedish team and at the 1977 WC in Buenos Aires he was the best both individually and with his team. In 1981 he stopped with fencing to fully concentrate on his Medicine studies. After graduating, he specialized in Immunology and Virology at the famous Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. With that background the industry attracted him and he became successively CEO at Axelar and Akinion, CMO at Algeta, VP Development at Medivir and Global Medical Director for Pharmacia Upjohn. He has published more than a hundred scientific articles.
1954
At the 1976 Olympics in Montréal, Peter Larkins (1954-) finished tenth in the 3.000m steeple final. With the exception of the year 1982 when he won the silver medal, he became Australian champion in that event from 1976 to 1983. In 1981 his country sent him to the World Cup and in 1982 he took part in the Commonwealth Games. After graduating as a medical doctor and also obtaining his diploma in exercise physiology, he specialized in sports medicine in Canada, the United States, England and East Africa. In 1980 he started a private practice in Australia. He became Chairman of Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) and vice president of the Australasian College of Sports Physicians. He became a team doctor for the Australian athletics, cricket, triathlon and lacrosse teams during World Cups, World Championships and Commonwealth Games and team physician for Geelong and Adelaide AFL football teams. At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, he served as senior Team Leader of medical services.
1954
Belgian Francis Lemmens (1954-) combined his medicine studies with playing football. He played at Stade Leuven, Rotselaar and SK Tongeren. In 1983, he even promoted with Racing Jette Brussels to the first national division. In 1979 he graduated from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and specialized in paediatrics and sports medicine. He was the medical counsellar of the Belgian tennis champion Kim Clijsters (1983-).
1954
With a new European record GDR swimmer Evelyn Rund-Stolze (1954-) became European champion 400m medley in 1970 in Barcelona. At that European Championships she also won the silver medal on 200m medley and the bronze medal on 200m butterfly. In 1972 she was selected for the Munich Olympics, where she finished fifth in the 400m medley final and with 5.06.80 she improved her own European record from the series with 0.16 seconds.
In the 200m medley final she finished sixth and her chrono of 2.25.45 from the series was two full seconds faster than the European best time of compatriot Martina Grunert (1949-). After the Games she concentrated on her Medicine studies and after she graduated she specialized in Dermatology. She started a private practice in Berlin-Biesdorf.
1954
Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira (1954-2011), better known as Sócrates, played 63 international matches for the Brazilian national football team and scored 25 goals. His nickname was 'O Doutor' (The Doctor) since he was also a pediatrician. In September 2011, he died from sepsis after he had previously admitted his drinking problem.
1954
Jutta Weber (1954) won the bronze medal with the West German relay team 4 x 100 m freestyle at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. In the 100m freestyle series she was the first West German to swim under one minute, but she could not qualify for the final. At the first World Cup of 1973 in Belgrade she won the bronze medal with the German 4 x 100m freestyle relay team, one year later the silver medal at the European Championships in Vienna. At the 1976 Olympics in Montréal she finished eighth in the 100m freestyle final. In 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1976 she won the German titles 100 and 200m freestyle and in 1977 the 100m freestyle title. Moreover, she improved twenty times a national record. After her graduation, she settled as a GP in Wiesbaden
