Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) Name Wil Beveren Club AV '23, Amsterdam | Sport Sprint Weight 80 kg (180 lb) | |
Born 28 December 1911 Haarlem, the Netherlands Died 5 October 2003 (aged 91)
Emmen, Netherlands | ||
Wijnand "Wil" van Beveren (28 December 1911 – 5 October 2003) was a Dutch sprinter. He competed in the 100 m, 200 m and 4×100 metres relay at the 1936 Summer Olympics and finished sixth in the 200 m, running against Jesse Owens. In the relay, the Dutch team was close to a medal, but failed at a baton transfer.
Van Beveren was a medal favorite in the 100 m at the 1938 European Championships, but finished fourth. He won three national titles, two in the 200 m (1937 and 1939) and one in 100 m (1939). After World War II, he retired from competitions and became a sports journalist, first with the weekly magazine Sport & Sportwereld and then with Drentse Courant. His two sons, Jan van Beveren and Wil van Beveren Jr., became professional football players.