Ragnhild Hveger

Ragnhild Hveger

Ragnhild Hveger in 1935
Personal information
Born	10 December 1920 Nyborg, Denmark
Died	1 December 2011 (aged 90)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Club	Helsingør Svømmeklub DKG, København
Medal record Representing  Denmark Summer Olympics 1936 Berlin 400 m freestyle European Championships 1938 London 100 m freestyle 1938 London 400 m freestyle 1938 London 4×100 m freestyle

Ragnhild Tove Hveger (later Andersen, 10 December 1920 – 1 December 2011) was a swimmer from Denmark, who won the silver medal in the women's 400 m freestyle at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

From 1936 to 1943 she set 44 world records, and at one time she held 19 world records in different distances and disciplines. In 1937 she won three gold medals at the world championships. Unfortunately for her, the Olympic Games were not held in 1940 or 1944.

Daughter of a Nazi, sister of an east front volunteer, married to a German officer, she became very unpopular after the war, and was barred from the Danish team for the 1948 Olympics. She competed at the 1952 Olympics and finished fourth in the 4 × 100 m and fifth in the 400 m freestyle events. Hveger retired in 1954 after ending fifth in the 100 m freestyle at the European Championships.

In 1966 she was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and 30 years later declared sportswoman of the century by Danmarks Idræts-Forbund.