Copeland, Lillian
Track and field
b. Nov. 25, 1904, New York, NY
d. July 7, 1964
The first great American woman weight thrower, Copeland won nine national AAU championships in three events. She was the shotput champion from 1925 through 1928 and in 1931, the discus champion in 1926 and 1927, and the javelin champion in 1926 and 1931.
Copeland set world records in the javelin in 1926, 1927, and 1928, but the women's javelin wasn't on the Olympic program in 1928. However, she did win a silver medal in the discus.
After entering the University of Southern California law school in 1931, she competed very little before the 1932 Olympic trials. She barely made the team, finishing third in the discus trials, but she won the gold medal on her final throw. Copeland said afterward, "The only thing I could think of as I stood there waiting for my last throw of the day was Dr. [Patrick] O'Callaghan, who won the hammer throw on his last throw of the day."
She retired after the Olympics, but returned in 1935 to win all three of her specialty events at the Second World Maccabiah Games in Palestine.