Lucienne Velu-Chapillon, Mrs Odoul (born Lucienne Antoinette Velu; 28 January 1902 – 12 June 1998) was a French

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...

and basketball player. She was inducted into the

French Basketball Hall of Fame The French Basketball Academy (French: Académie du basket-ball français) is a hall of fame that honors individuals (or whole teams) that have contributed to the spread and improvement of French basketball, through their sporting contributions, a ...

, in 2011. She was born Paris and died in Quincy-sous-Senart.

Biography

Athletics

Velu held the world record in the discus throw in September 1924 at Paris with a throw of 30.225 m, and she was 14 times champion of France for 7 national records (her last record stood for 22 years). Her rivals were two other Frenchwomen, Lucie Petit-Diagre, a double world record holder in the summer of 1924, with throws of 27.70 m and 28.325 m, and Yvonne Tembouret, who was the world record holder in September 1923 at Paris with a throw of 27.39 m. In the

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

Velu was 8 times champion of France; her rival was

Violette Morris Violette Morris (18 April 1893 – 26 April 1944) was a French athlete and Nazi collaborator who won two gold and one silver medal at the Women's World Games in 1921–1922. She was later banned from competing for violating "moral standards". S ...

. She was also the holder of three national records for 10 years and participated in the Olympic Games 1924, 1928 and 1936. She participated in the

1928 Olympic Games 1928 Olympics may refer to: *The 1928 Winter Olympics, which were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland *The 1928 Summer Olympics, which were held in Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most po ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

and placed fourth in the

4 x 100 metres relay 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

(alongside Yolande Plancke, Georgette Gagneux and

Marguerite Radideau Marguerite Radideau (5 March 1907 – 14 March 1978) was a French sprinter. She competed in 60–250 m events at the 1926 Women's World Games and won two gold, one silver and one bronze medals. In 1924 she competed at the 1924 Women's Olympiad wi ...

). Finally, selected 24 times from 1923 to 1939 for French national teams, she won 43 titles as champion of France, including 33 senior championships for 47 podium visits. The events she won championships at were 80 (very close to the world record in 9 s 4), 100 and 200 meters, the discus, the shot put, relay (gold medal in the relay 4 × 200 m at the Women's World Games. In basketball (from 1928 to 1938) she won championships with the team Linnets (who won the first national championship). She was also part of the group that introduced

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

into France before the war.

Prize list

* 33 titles at Senior French Athletic Championships: ** 60 meters : 1934, 1935 and 1936 ** 80 meters : 1927, 1931, 1932 and 1933 ** 200 meters : 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 ** Shot Put : 1928, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 and 1937 ** Discus throw : 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939 and 1942 * 7 silver medals at the Senior Athletics Championships France ** 80 meters : 1929 ** 100 meters : 1930 ** Shot Put : 1929, 1936, 1938 ** Discus throw : 1931, 1938 * 7 bronze medals at the Senior Athletics Championships France ** 60 meters : 1937 ** 100 meters : 1928, 1935 ** Shot Put : 1925, 1927, 1939 ** Discus throw : 1941

Records

World records A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

: ** World record holder discus (30.225 m in 1924) * Records of France : ** 3 times record holder of France shot put ** 7 times record holder of France's discus throw ** 3 times record holder of France's 4 × 100 Metres Relay

Basketball

Later, Velu was captain of the French basketball team that became the first women's team to be world champions in French sport, beating United States 34–23 on 11 August 1934 at the 4th Women's World Games in London at White Hall. The winning team was Gilberte Flouret-Picot, Yvonne Santais, Velu, Simone Richalot de Reims and Jeannine Garnier from Strasbourg. In 1930 during the 3rd World Games, Velu had already won the bronze medal in basketball.

Prize list

French team

* World Champion 1934 (4th World Games); * 3rd at the 3rd World Games in 1930 (and 1st European team);

Linnet's Saint-Maur

* Seven-time champion France, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934and 1938 (Then under the aegis of the FFBB.)

Distinctions

* female MVP of the

Sports Academy In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if t ...

in 1938 * Lifetime member of the

French Basketball Academy The French Basketball Academy ( French: Académie du basket-ball français) is a hall of fame that honors individuals (or whole teams) that have contributed to the spread and improvement of French basketball, through their sporting contributions, ...

under the 2012 promotion.

References

External links

Sport's Reference profile of Velu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Velu, Lucienne 1902 births 1998 deaths French women's basketball players French female discus throwers French female shot putters French female sprinters Athletes (track and field) at the 1928 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes for France Basketball players from Paris Athletes from Paris 20th-century French women Olympic female sprinters