Else Jacobsen

At the age of 12, Else Jacobsen joined the Danish Women’s Gymnastics Club, and at the age of 16, won her first Danish championship, and that same year set a world record in winning the 200 metre breaststroke at the Nordic Championships in 3:16.6, becoming the first Dane to set a world record in swimming. Coming fourth in the 200 m breaststroke in 1928, Else Jacobsen was just short of the medal ranks. The first indoor pool in Copenhagen opened only in 1930, giving her a reasonable location for systematic training for the first time. In 1932, she was the current world record holder with 3:03.4, but managed to finance her Olympic participation only by a collection among Danish-born Americans. Third place and the bronze medal were a major disappointment for her. After returning to Denmark, she published her diary under the title “With Else to Los Angeles.”

When Jacobsen started working as a sports instructor in 1933, she came in conflict with the amateur rules of the time. The Danish newspaper BT offered her a job which allowed her to continue her competitive career. But after quarrels with Danish swimming officials she finished her active career the following year at the age of only 23, and established a private swimming school to become a swimming instructor and trainer. From 1935-65 Jacobsen coached swimming at the Swimming Club Triton where she met her future husband Willy Baade and discovered, among others the Olympic champion of 1948 Greta Andersen. In 1952 and 1960 Jacobsen headed the Danish Olympic swimming team.