.jpg) Ahrens in 1954 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women'sAthletics | ||
Representing Chile | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 | 1956 Melbourne | Javelin throw |
| Pan American Games | ||
 | 1959 Chicago | Javelin throw |
| 1963 São Paulo | Javelin throw |
Marlene Ahrens Ostertag-Ebensperger (July 27, 1933 – June 17, 2020) was aChileanathlete.[1] She won the silver medal inJavelin throw at the1956 Summer Olympics inMelbourne with a distance of 50.38 metres.[2] She was the mother of journalistKarin Ebensperger.
Ahrens was born inConcepción, Chile, the daughter of German immigrants. In Melbourne, she was the Chilean flag bearer,[3] and the only woman on the Olympic team. She participated in the Javelin throw, winning the silver medal with a distance of 50.38 metres. In doing so, she became the first Chilean woman to win an Olympic medal. She won gold in both1959 Pan American Games, held inChicago, and1963 Pan American Games held inSão Paulo. Also, she again was the flag bearer in the1960 Summer Olympics inRome, although she did not win a medal. Ahrens was forced to retire after having a dispute with the Chilean newspaperClarín, and she was banned from competing in the1964 Summer Olympics inTokyo.[4]
After athletics she began to play tennis and in 1967, won the Chilean national tournament in mixed doubles with Omar Pabst. Soon after that, she injured her knee and dedicated her life toEquestrianism. She competed in the1995 Pan American Games inMar del Plata. She retired from horse riding in 2012, at 79 years old.[citation needed]
She married Jorge Roberto Ebensperger Grassau, a hockey player and another descendant of German settlers; they gave birth to 2 children: Karin Ebensperger and Roberto Ebensperger. She is the grandmother ofMarlén Eguiguren, also a journalist like her mother Karin.
On the night of June 17, 2020, Ahrens died of heart failure inSantiago de Chile at the age of 86.[5][6]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Chile | |||||
| 1954 | South American Championships | São Paulo, Brazil | 2nd | Javelin throw | 41.68 m |
| 1956 | South American Championships | Santiago, Chile | 1st | Javelin throw | 48.73 m |
| Olympic Games | Helsinki, Finland | 2nd | Javelin throw | 50.38 m | |
| 1958 | South American Championships | Montevideo, Uruguay | 1st | Javelin throw | 43.85 m |
| 1959 | Pan American Games | Chicago, United States | 1st | Javelin throw | 45.38 m |
| 1960 | Olympic Games | Rome, Italy | 12th | Javelin throw | 47.53 m |
| 1961 | South American Championships | Lima, Peru | 1st | Javelin throw | 42.85 m |
| 1962 | Ibero-American Games | Madrid, Spain | 1st | Javelin throw | 45.63 m |
| 1963 | Pan American Games | São Paulo, Brazil | 1st | Javelin throw | 49.93 m |
| South American Championships | Cali, Colombia | 1st | Javelin throw | 44.67 m | |
