Margit Kristijan

Margit Kristijan was a Serbian athlete and fencer with Hungarian nationality from the Vojvodina part of the current Serbia. After her high school years Kristijan studied at the College of Physical Education in Budapest, where her talent as a javelin thrower was discovered. In 1934 she won the Hungarian championship in the javelin throw. Her national record of 35.95 meters stood for seven years.

Kristijan began fencing under the supervision of her father, who was a gym teacher. In 1930, when Kristijan was only 17, she became the national champion. In 1936 Kristijan won her seventh consecutive national title, which earned her selection for the Olympics. Kristijan represented Yugoslavia at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. She competed in the individual foil event reaching the quarter-finals where she won one bout and lost four.

Following World War II Kristijan took on her father’s coaching job passing on her experience to young fencers. During her career Kristijan won the national title 13 times. After finishing her competitive career in 1956 Kristijan worked as a physical education teacher and coach. Kristijan retired from teaching and coaching in 1976. She died in January 2008 at the age of 94.