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Austrian pentathlete (1941–2006) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Liesel "Liese" Prokop-Sykora (27 March 1941 – 31 December 2006) was an Austrian athlete and, later in her life, a politician. She competed mainly in the pentathlon.
Liese Prokop | |
---|---|
Minister of the Interior | |
In office 22 December 2004 – 31 December 2006 | |
President | Heinz Fischer |
Chancellor | Wolfgang Schüssel |
Preceded by | Ernst Strasser |
Succeeded by | Wolfgang Schüssel (Acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | Tulln District, Austria (under the German Empire) | 27 March 1941
Died | 31 December 2006 65) Sankt Pölten, Austria | (aged
Political party | People's Party |
Alma mater | University of Vienna |
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Representing Austria | ||
Women’s Athletics | ||
Olympic Games | ||
1968 Mexico City | Pentathlon | |
European Championships | ||
1969 Athens | Pentathlon | |
Universiade | ||
1967 Tokyo | Pentathlon |
Born as Liese Sykora in Tulln District, Lower Austria, on 27 March 1941, she graduated from the University of Vienna with a degree in biology and sport.[1][2] In 1965 she married her former coach, Gunnar Prokop. The couple had two sons and a daughter.[2] in 1967, she became student world champion in Tokyo.[2] She competed for Austria in the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City, Mexico in the Pentathlon where she won the silver medal.[3] In 1969, she became European champion in Athens, breaking the world pentathlon record.[2] In addition, she was Austrian champion in pentathlon, long jump, high jump, hurdles, relay and shot putting.[2]
Prokop began her political career in 1969 and became a member of the Parliament of Lower Austria.[4] She served as regional minister from 1981 to 1992 and vice president of Lower Austria during the period between 1992 and 2004.[4]
She joined Assembly of European Regions (AER) in 1996 and held different administrative positions in the AER, including the president of the AER which she assumed from 2001 to 2004.[4] Later she was made honorary president of the assembly.[4]
Beginning in December 2004 she was Austrian minister of interior for the conservative ÖVP, becoming Austria's first female interior minister.[3][5] She served in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Wolfgang Schüssel until her death on 31 December 2006.[3] She died unexpectedly of aortic dissection while being rushed to a Sankt Pölten hospital on New Year's Eve, 2006.[3] Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel became acting interior minister upon this incident.[6]
She was the sister of Maria Sykora, who competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics,[1] and aunt of Winter Olympic bronze medalist Thomas Sykora.
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