Nelli Cooman
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Cornelli ("Nelli") Antoinette Hariëtte Cooman (born June 6, 1964 in Paramaribo) is a former Dutch athlete of Surinamese origin. She was World Champion twice, six times European Champion and nineteen times national Champion of the Netherlands.

Cooman grew up in Suriname in a family together with four sisters and one brother. When she was eight, the family moved to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. She started to play soccer and soon got the nickname "Miss Pele". At sixteen, she was discovered to be a very good sprinter during a sporting event at school; thus she began a career in athletics. Three months later, she competed in the European Youth Championships in Utrecht and finished seventh in the 100 metres sprint. Shortly after, she set a sprint record in the youth category. At seventeen, she won the Silver medal in the National Championships. After graduating secondary school she turned professional with Henk Kraaijenhof as trainer.

During her time as a professional athlete from 1984 to 1995 she became World Champion 60 metres indoor two times (1987 in Indianapolis and 1989 in Budapest), and European Champion six times. At the European Indoor Championships in Madrid in 1986 she won in a time of 7.00 seconds, a world record at the time. Because of that achievement she was elected Sportvrouw van het jaar (most important sportwoman of that year). Her world record lasted until February 1992 and her time of 7.00 seconds still stands as national record for 60 metres. Nelli Cooman took part twice in the Olympic Games for the Netherlands; during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul in the 4 x 100 metres relay and in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona in 100 metres sprint. In 1995, she ended her career as a professional athlete.

Achievements on EC and IAAF WC

• 1984: 3rd - EC Göteburg (60m)
• 1985: 1st - EC Athens (60m0
• 1986: 1st - EC Madrid (60m) (worldrecord: 7.00 sec)
• 1986: 3rd - EC Stuttgard (100m)
• 1987: 1st - EC Lievin (60m)
• 1987: 1st - WC Indianapolis (60m)
• 1988: 1st - EC Budapest (60m)
• 1989: 1st - EC The Hague (60m)
• 1989: 1st - WC Budapest (60m)
• 1990: 3rd - EC Glasgow (60m)
• 1994: 1st - EC Paris (60m)
• 1994: 6th - EC Helsinki (100m)

Nelli Cooman Games

From 1997 on the Nelli Cooman Games are organised in the city of Stadskanaal. At first these games were only for youth-category competitors but they grew to be a national A-status KNAU (Royal Dutch Track and Field Union) event. Nelli Cooman is 'honorary chairwoman' of this event.

Trivia

Dutch singer Gerard Cox wrote a song about Nelli Cooman to a tune by Stevie Wonder.

External links

• Nelli Cooman Games