Ria Simmelink

Ria Simmelink (born c. 1900s) was a Dutch athletics competitor who was specialized in the javelin throw but also competed in other events. She was a member of athletics club Hercules-Hebe. Simmelink was the best Dutch female javelin thrower in the 1920s, being multiple times national record holder and national champion.

Simmelink won het first javelin throw competition on 1 June 1924. The athletics association organized a men’s athletics competitions including one women’s event, the javelin throw.^[1] At the end of the month she became for the first time champion of Twente. ^[2] She was selected by the athletics association of Twente to compete at the international 1924 Westfalen–Twente athletics competition in Münster.^[3] She finished in this competition third behind Germans Erna Pröschold and Büsing.^[4]

In 1925 the women’s national record in javelin throw was introduced. Simmelink set the first javelin throw national record, after winning the javelin throw event at the national competition in Hengelo with a distance of 28.24 metres on 26 July 1925.^[5][6] In 1926, she became again javelin throw champion of Twente. She also won the bronze medal in the 100 metres, losing from Bets ter Horst.^[7][8] She improved her own national record on 24 July 1927 at the championships of Twente.^[9][10] A year later on 2 September 1928, she became Dutch national champion, beating her own national record with a distance 29.31 metres.^[11] She lost her record to Leny Rombout on 15 July 1929.^[12]