Annette Roozen

Annette Roozen (born March 11, 1976 in Utrecht) is a Dutch paraplegic track and field athlete. [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRMP/ENG/BIO/Athlete/2/1200382.shtml Athlete biography: Annette Roozen] , beijing2008.cn, ret: Sep 08, 2008]

When Roozen was sixteen years old her right leg had to be amputed due to osteosarcoma. Five years later, in 1997 she attended a local sports day for prosthesis users where her interest in athletics was born. Her first international title came in 2003 when she won the 100 metres sprint at the European Championships in Assen in a time of 18.11 seconds, at that time a new European record. [http://www.ossur.com/pages/3350 Annette Roozen, The Netherlands - competitive highlights] , ossur.com, ret: Sep 8, 2008] That same day she also participated at the long jump winning the bronze medal with a leap of 2.95 metres. A month later she won two golden medals at the Open German Championships in Wattenscheid. She broke the World records in both disciplines; 17.85 seconds over 100 metres and 3.19 metres in the long jump. On May 31, 2004 she broke the World record over 100 metres again, this time during the FBK-Games in Hengelo to a time of 17.20 seconds. She represented the Netherlands at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, not at the 100 metres, but only at the long jump. She jumped a personal best score of 3.33 metres, but eventually only finished in fifth position, without winning a medal.

In Lelystad she took part at the 2005 Dutch National Championships, where she won her first national titles, becoming first in both the 100 metres and the long jump. A day later she improved her personal best and national record at the long jump to 3.55 metres during the FBK-Games of that year. She successfully defended her national titles in both disciplines and at the Paralympic Challenge in Duderstadt at May 20, 2006 she ran a new World record over 100 metres in 16.90 seconds. In Leverkusen at August 25, 2006 she broke the European record in the long jump to 3.61 metres. Back in her home country in Assen they organized the 2006 World Championships and Roozen became double World Champion. She won the 100 metres in 16.96 seconds and came to a distance of 3.49 metres in the long jump.

In 2007 she did not become the Dutch national 100 metres champion again, but she succeeded for the third consecutive time in the long jump, coming to a distance of 3.50 metres. Despite missing her third national 100 metres title she managed to run a new, but unofficial World record at the Run2Day Track Meetings, coming to a new time of 16.64 seconds. At the 2007 FBK-Games she came to a distance of 3.57 metres in the long jump and she won the 100 metres race in 16.75 seconds, this time an official World record. On June 17, 2007 in Stadskanaal during the Nelli Cooman-Games she broke the World record again, this time in 16.57 seconds. She also participated in a race over 200 metres for the very first time in her career, running straight to a new World record of 34.46 seconds. Due to this effort she won the "Bronze Nelli Cooman Trophy". At the end of the year she was named Dutch sportsperson of the year with a disability (Joke van Rijswijk Trophy), however she had to share the title with Marion Nijhof, a blind swimmer. [http://www.u-track.nl/nieuws/rijswijkprijs2007.php Annette Roozen weer een prijs!] , u-track.nl, ret: Sep 8, 2008]

On June 1, 2008 at the Open Dutch Championships in Emmeloord Roozen once again broke the 100 metres World Record to a new best time of 16.48 seconds. She represented the Netherlands at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing where she qualified for the 100 metres and the long jump. Unfortunately for her the 200 metres in her class was not run during the Paralympics. At the long jump she came to 3.23 metres in her first jump, being only in fifth position after. With her second jump of 3.63 metres she jumped further than any of the other athletes did in the first jump, however Christine Wolf came to 3.65 metres that same round to take the lead. None of the others managed to get over the 3.63, although Ewa Zielinska came close with 3.62 metres. In the last part of the competition Wolf jumped to 3.73 metres and a new World record in her fifth out of six jumps. Roozen was unable to jump that far and won the silver medal. Zielinska took the bronze. [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRMP/ENG/INF/AT/C73P/ATW052101.pdf Beijing 2008: Long Jump F42 results] , beijing2008.cn, ret: Sep 8, 2008]

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