Johanna Freda Gertrude Wilhelmsen (née Stelling; January 16, 1913 – March 19, 2005) was an American track and field athlete and softball player. She represented the United States at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

in Berlin, placing seventh in the women's javelin throw and eighth in the discus throw.

Biography

Gertrude Stelling was born in Puyallup, Washington on January 16, 1913. She took up track and field at

Puyallup High School Puyallup High School is a high school in the Puyallup School District in Pierce County, Washington, commonly referred to as PHS. History Founded in 1890 as Central High School, the first nine students graduated from the school in 1893. In 1902, ...

. She placed fourth in the javelin throw at the 1932 United States Olympic Trials, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

; the top three in each event were named to the American Olympic team. Stelling married Andrew Wilhelmsen in November 1932; their first child was born in 1934. At the 1936 Olympic Trials Gertrude Wilhelmsen placed second in the discus throw (116 ft 9 in/35.59 m) and third in the javelin throw (119 ft 3 in/36.35 m), qualifying for the Olympic team in both events; in the javelin she defeated former world record holder

Nan Gindele Nan Gindele Bauman (August 5, 1910 – March 26, 1992) was an American athlete, excelling in basketball, softball, and track and field. She set the world record in javelin in 1932, which was not broken until six years later. She competed in t ...

by a foot to win the last Olympic spot. She was the best American in both events at the Olympic Games in Berlin, placing seventh in the javelin throw and eighth in the discus throw. In addition to track and field, Wilhelmsen competed in a variety of other sports, including softball, basketball and later golf. She was inducted in the Tacoma-Pierce County Baseball/Softball Hall of Fame as a fastpitch softball player in 1994. Wilhelmsen died in Puyallup on March 19, 2005. Wilhelmsen competed in the 1992 Palm Desert Senior Olympics in track & field and other events.The Desert Sun, Feb 24, 199

Retrieved Oct 5, 2023

References

1913 births 2005 deaths Sportspeople from Puyallup, Washington American female discus throwers American female javelin throwers Softball players from Washington (state) Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics 20th-century American women 20th-century American people 21st-century American women Puyallup High School alumni American Masters Athlete that competed in Olympics {{US-softball-bio-stub