Lillian Copeland
Lillian Copeland in 1938 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Lillian Drossin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 24, 1904 New York City, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | July 7, 1964 (aged 59) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Employer | Los Angeles Sheriff's Department | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 59 kg (130 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Discus throw, shot put, javelin throw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Los Angeles Athletic Club, Los Angeles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National finals |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | world champion; multiple times | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | DT – 40.58 m (1932) SP – 9.38 m (1925) JT – 38.21 m (1927) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lillian Copeland (née Drossin; November 24, 1904 – July 7, 1964) was an American track and field Olympic champion athlete, who excelled in discus, javelin throwing, and shot put, setting multiple world records. She has been called "the most successful female discus thrower in U.S. history". She also held multiple titles in shot put and javelin throwing. She won a silver medal in discus at the 1928 Summer Olympics, a gold medal in discus at the 1932 Summer Olympics, and gold medals in discus, javelin, and shot put at the 1935 Maccabiah Games in Mandatory Palestine.
In 1928, The New York Times reported that Copeland was "considered by many the all around best woman athlete in the country." Until the 2008 Beijing Games 74 years after she became an Olympic champion, she was the only American woman to win the discus throw at a modern Olympics. She has been inducted into the USATF Hall of Fame, the Helms Athletic Hall of Fame, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.