nominated for the Romanian team and at the Olympic trial races in Obituaries for political reasons. Seefeld where he defeated the entire In 1957, soon after Bala? had world top class. equalled the world record of the Siebert's time did not, however, American Olympic champion come until the introduction of the Mildred McDaniel (1.76 m), she lost small calibre rifle: in 1978 world it to the Chinese Chen Feng-jung champion in the relay, in 1978/79 (1.77 m), whose performance she winner in the composite world cup, out-jumped the following year by a in 1979 world champion over 20 centimetre. From then on, she was km and in the relay. at the Olympic regarded as unbeatable. During Winter Games in 1980 in Lake Placid, the next eight years, she won 12+0 he achieved silver in the relay and competitions consecutively, as well wasfourth overio km. as triumphing at the Olympic Games A mechanical engineer and later in Rome and Tokyo and the European police officer, Siebert worked with Championships of 1958 and 1962. young athletes from 19824. Among Surprisingly, she was missing in his protégés was Ricco Gross, winner 1966 at the European Championships of four Olympic gold, three silver in Budapest, having just become and two bronze medals from 1992 to the Romanian champion with 2006. lolanda Balaj, married Söter(ROU), 1.824 m. The official reason given From 19924. to 1998 he was trainer *12 December 1936 ir Timijoara, tn was a problem with her Achilles at the Federal Performance Centre March 2016 in Bucharest. The two- tendon. But as the IAAF introduced of Altenberg and co-trainer of the time Olympic champion in high jump feminity checks at the same time, men's national team from 1998 to of 1960 and 19624.. whose father was this gave rise to speculation, as in 2002. Between 2002 and 2005, he Romanian, her motier Hungarian Budapest the coach and not Bala§ was responsible for the shooting and a grandmother German, began had appeared before the medical training of the Austrian biathletes. with athletics in Timisoara and commission, only to inform them After a period as chief coach in moved to Bucharest in 1951. There, that she would not compete. She the People's Republic of China, he the equally active high jumper Ion competed for the last time on iolh went to Belarus, where he coached Söter (1927-1987) became her coach - June 1967 at the International Darya Domracheva, the triple to start with unofficially and from Romanian Championships (1.68 m, Olympic champion of Sochi 20124. 1957 on a more formal basis. As a 17 second place). Shortly before his 61s’ birthday he yearold, Balas was runner-up in the Balas, who had married Ion succumbed to cancer. (VK) European Championships behind Söter in 1958, worked for a while Thelma Hopkins (GBR*. as lecturer at Bucharest University. Sarah Tait, née Outhwaite (AUS), Extraordinarily slim and 1.85 m After that she was a sports teacher *23 January 1983 in Perth, Western tall, she set the first of her 14 world at a children's and youth sports Australia (AUS), t3 March 2016 in records on it^July 1956 with an school and from 1973 was a trainer Melbourne. She began rowing old-fashioned-locking scissors with Steaua Bucharest. In 1970, her when only nine years old. She technique and cleared 1.75 m son Doru-Franky (in the photograph studied environmental science and in Bucharest. Her last and best with his parents) was born. From agriculture at school, but continued performance (1.91 n in 1961) was 1988 to 2005 lolanda Söter-Bala$ to row, making herfirst international not improved on until 1971 when the was President of the Romanian appearance at the 2000 World Austrian Ilona Gusenoauer bettered Athletics Federation. (VK) Juniors, where she won a silver in it by one centimetre. the junior women's coxless four. Although she speit a good five Klaus Siebert (GDR), *29 April She competed at three Olympics weeks in Australia before the start 1955 in Schlettau; +224 April 2016 (20024-12), the first as Sarah of the 1956 Games, Balaj had to in Altenberg/Erzgebirge. "Sieb", Outhwaite, then as Sarah Tait, accept unexpected defeat and as he was called, grew up in the finally winning an Olympic medal came only fifth. The absence of Ion Erzgebirge, where he was accepted at London with a silver in the coxless Söter contributed tc this. In 1952, into the biathlon training centre of pairs. At the senior international he was sixth in the Helsinki Games, the East German police. His first big level, her greatest victory came in and despite settirg a national year was 1975, when he came third in winning a gold medal in the eights at record (2.055 m) in 1956, he was not the World Championships oveno km the 2005 World Championships. She IOH 2 I 2016 Obituaries added a silver medal in the coxless Yumin also tried to qualify for the (with Miltenberger) at the 1958 pairs at that event and returned 1980 Soviet Olympic team, but championships. In the 4x500 m to add a bronze in coxless pairs at finished onlythird at theigSo Soviet relay, Lange also won European ti­ the 2011 Worlds. During her second Championships. After finishing tles in 1959 and 1961 and a silver at pregnancy she was diagnosed with his sporting career, he worked the 1957. He ended his active career cervical (uterine) cancer. Sandra as a trainer, coaching the Turkish in 1963 and died after a long and Tait retired from rowing in February national team. He was inducted into serious ill ness. (RR) 2014 to concentrate on fighting the the FILA International Wrestling Hall disease, but it took her life when she of Fame in 2009. (TK) Zoltan Szarka (HUN), *12 August 1942 wasonly33yearsold. (BM) in Csorna; +18 April 2016 in Szom- Clyde Lovellette (USA), *7Septem - bathely. Goalie Szarka played most Sändor Taries (HUN), *23 September ber 1929 in Petersburg, Indiana; +9 of his career from 1960-89 with one 1913 in Budapest; t2 i May 2016 in March 2016 in North Manchester, In­ club, Szombathelyi Haladâs, ex­ Belvedere, California. Sandor, also diana. Lovellette won championship cept for th e last seasons of his ca reer, called Alex Taries, competed for basketball titles at every major level when he played with Sabaria SEfrom Hungary in water polo at the 1936 of competition - NCAA, Olympic and 1983-85 and with SC Nikitsch in Aus­ Olympics, helping his team to a gold NBA. During 2016, he was the only tria in 1988-89. With Szombathelyi, medal. He played on the national college player to lead the nation in Szarka won a runners-up medal in team through 1939, once scoring scoring while leading his team to the the 1975 Hungarian Cup. seven goals to help Hungary defeat NCAA title. He never earned a full in te r­ Germany at the (unofficial) World After his Olympic success in 1952, national cap but was selected for Student Games in Vienna, which he was drafted by the Minneapolis the Olympic squad as a reserve to made him a national hero. Lakers in 1953 and he had four good first choice keeper Kâroly Fatér. At In 1948 he moved to the USA to years for them. He subsequently the Olympics, Szarka played only teach engineering, moving to the played for both Cincinnati and St. 13 minutas, when he was subbed Bay Area of California. There, he be­ Louis, playing in three NBA All-Star in during the semi-final match came a professor of architectural games and makingsecond team All- against Japan, which Hungary engineering. He was also an earth­ NBA one year. Hefinished his career won 5-0. His team also won the quake specialist, helping develop with the Boston Celtics, as a reserve final. After finishing his sporting a revolutionary method of imple­ center to Bill Russell, and itwas with career, Szarka worked as the long­ menting seismic "base isolation" them, in 1963 and 1964, that he time goalkeeping coach with shock absorbers under large build­ played on NBAchampionshipteams. Szombathelyi Haladâs. (TK) ings, which was used on the city Lovellette was a burly fellow on halls of both San Francisco and Oak­ the court and was known as a bit of Andries Cornelis Dirk “André" land. He was the oldest living Olym­ an enforcer. He apparently tookthe Boestra (NED), *11 December 1924 in pic champion until his death at the reputation with him after his playing Bandoerg, Dutch East Indies; +17 age ofi02 years. See also JOH, Vol. 20, days - he served several years as March 2016 in The Hague. Boestra No. 1/2013, pp. 70-72. (PT) sheriff of his hometown. (BM/WR) was a member of the four-times national championship team Vladimir Yumin (URS), *18 December Paul Lange (FRG), *6 February 1931 H.H.Y.C, which later became Klein 1951 in Omsk; ti+ March 2016 in in Oberhausen; +15 March 2016 in Zwitserland in Wassenaar/The Kaspiysk, Dagestan/RUS. The Oberhausen. Lange was a bricklayer Hague. He qualified as an engineer wrestler was considered one of the by profession. In 1960 in Rome, he and worked first for the Royal Dutch world's best bantamweight, and won Olympic gold in the K-i 4X500 Shell Company, then for the Lucas later featherweight, freestylers m relay (held for the only time at Bols Company. in the 1970s. As a bantamweight these Olympics) with Dieter Krause Boerstra played as inside right he won Olympic gold in 1976, and Günter Perleberg, who both wing in :he national team at the was world champion in 1974 and came from East Germany, and the 1948 Games, where he won a European champion in 1975-76.