Trijntje Pieters Westra

Trijntje Pieters Westra married name Boersma (7 December 1783 - 3 September 1861) was a Dutch female speed skater. She won the first known official speed skating competition for women.

Trijntje Pieters Westra
Luisterrijke Vrouwen Schaatsen Rijdpartij. An engraving depicting the first women's skating competition won by Westra, 1805
Personal information
Born(1783-12-07)December 7, 1783
Gauw, Netherlands
DiedSeptember 3, 1861(1861-09-03) (aged 77)
Rauwerderhem, Netherlands
Sport
SportSpeed skating

Speed skating

When Westra was 20 years old, she won the first known official speed skating competition for women. It was skated on the city moat behind the Prinsentuin in Leeuwarden from 1 to 2 February 1805.[1] The competition was skated as elimination races over ca. 140 meters, of two ladies each time, the format of Kortebaanschaatsen. 130 riders participated and over 10,000 spectators watched the two-day competition. She beat the sixteen-year-old Janke Wybes van Damwoude in the final, skating the 140 metres with side wind in 13 seconds. Westra won a gold oorijzer worth 105 gulden.[2][3]

Personal life

Westra was born in Gauw, the daughter of Pieter Reinders Westra who was a veldwachter[1] (policeman in rural area) from Poppenwier and Maike Pieters. She married on 23 March 1806 in Terzool with Ysebrand Tomes Boersma (1781-1826) who was a farmer. With him she had at least 2 sons and 1 daughter.[2]

Westra died at 3 September 1861 in Rauwerderhem, aged 78.

References
  1. "Hardrijderijen in Friesland: topsport in de negentiende eeuw". Schaatsen.nl.
  2. "Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland". resources.huygens.knaw.nl. September 17, 2019.
  3. "Competition results, statistics and records; SpeedSkatingNews". www.speedskatingnews.info. Retrieved 3 April 2020. 1001 Vrouwen uit de Nederlandse geschiedenis
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