Mia Gommers

Who is Mia Gommers?

Maria Francisca Philomena Hoogakker-Gommers is a retired Dutch athlete, who competed mainly in the 800 metres. She was the second female world record-holder over 1500 metres in October 1967 at Sittard, breaking the record of Anne Rosemary Smith, who set the record in June of that year, by almost two seconds.

Gommers competed for The Netherlands in the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico City, Mexico in the 800 metres, where she won the bronze medal.

On 14 June 1969 she also broke Smith's world record on the mile in an event in Leicester. At the 1969 European Championships in Athletics in Athens on 20 September 1969, she ran below Paola Pigni's new 1500 m record, but was beaten to the finish by Jaroslava Jehlickova. In 1969 she was chosen the Dutch female sportsperson of the year.