Themans-Simons, Judikje

Sport:
gymnastics

Country Represented:
Netherlands

Years Competed:
1928

Medals Received:
gold

Olympic Info:
Themans-Simons was a member of the Netherlands' women's gymnastics team at the 1928 Amsterdam Games, the first time women's gymnastics was on the Olympic program. During the competition, the Dutch team easily won the gold medal in the team event, scoring 316.75 total points. No individual medals were awarded at the Amsterdam Games. Judikje was an alternate at the competition and did not compete, but was still awarded a gold medal.

At the 1928 Olympics, about half of the Dutch women's gymnastics team was Jewish, but only one member (Elka de Levie) survived the Holocaust. Themans-Simons was killed at Sobibor in 1943 with her husband their two children, 3-year old son Leon, and 5-year old daughter Sonja.

The Jewish members of the Netherlands Olympic gymnastics team have been inducted as a group into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame; they include Themans-Simons, de Levie, Anna Dresden-Polak, Lea Kloot-Nordheim, Stella Blits-Agsteribbe, and coach Gerrit Kleerekoper.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. Aug. 20, 1904 - d. March 3, 1943

Origin:
Netherlands

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