Elisa van den Bogaert

Elisa van den Bogaert (10 June 1905 - 4 January 1982) was a Belgian competitive swimmer. She was a swimmer in the earliest era of women's competitive swimming during the early 20th-century. She was specialized in the breaststroke. She was a member of swimming club "Zwemclub De Waterratten" (ZDW) in Antwerp and represented Belgium at international competitions. Van den Bogaert set multiple European- and World records and won medals internationally.

Swimming career
On 22 July 1921 Van den Bogaertbroke set the first World- and European 100 metres breaststroke record in Brussels. She swam a time of 1:37.6. It was in August 1922 broken by  Doris Hart. A few weeks after setting her 100 metres record, she set the first World- and European 200 metres breaststroke record in Antwerp. It was in a time of 3:38.2. She broke her own record on 6 May 1922 in Brussels (3:34.6) and again on 4 October 1922 in Antwerp (3:31.4). She lost her record to the British Irene Gilbert in June 1923. On 7 October 1922, Van den Bogaert also swam the first record in the 400 metres breaststroke. She swam in Brussels a time of 7:42.2. A year later in October 1923 the record was broken by the Britsh Irene Gilbert.

Van den Bogaert competed at the 1922 Women's Olympiad, the earliest women's international swimming championships. She won the silver medal in the 200 metres breasstroke event behind the British Doris Hart. She won the bronze medal with the Belgian team in the 4 x 50 m relay event.

Van den Bogaert became a Member of Merit of the Belgian Swimming Federation in 1928.

References

Category:1905 births
Category:1981 deaths
Category:Sportspeople from Antwerp
Category:Sportswomen
Category:Swimmers
Category:World record holders