Enith Brigitha

Enith Sijtje Maria Brigitha (born 15 April 1955) is a former leading competitive swimmer in the 1970s. She twice represented the Netherlands at the Summer Olympics, starting in 1972 (Munich, West Germany). She won two bronze medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the women's 100 m and 200 m freestyle.^[1] Brigitha twice was named 'Dutch Sportswoman of the Year', in 1973 and 1974. She was the first black athlete to win a swimming medal in the Olympics.^[2][3]

Enith Brigitha

Personal information
Full name	Enith Sijtje Maria Brigitha
National team	Netherlands
Born	(1955-04-15) 15 April 1955 (age 70) Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, backstroke
Medal record Women's swimming Representing the  Netherlands Olympic Games 1976 Montreal 100 m freestyle 1976 Montreal 200 m freestyle World Championships (LC) 1973 Belgrade 200 m backstroke 1973 Belgrade 100 m freestyle 1975 Cali 100 m freestyle 1975 Cali 200 m freestyle 1975 Cali 4×100 m medley European Championships (LC) 1974 Vienna 200 m freestyle 1974 Vienna 4×100 m freestyle 1977 Jönköping 100 m freestyle 1977 Jönköping 4×100 m freestyle 1974 Vienna 100 m freestyle 1974 Vienna 100 m backstroke 1974 Vienna 200 m backstroke

Early life

Brigitha was born in Curaçao on 15 April 1955.^[1] She was the eldest daughter of a Dutch mother and an Antillean father.^[4] She learned to swim in the seas that surround Curaçao.^[4] She first participated in the Kingdom Games in 1967 as a swimmer, returning in 1968 where she won gold, which motivated her mother and her to move to the Netherlands for Enith to pursue her swimming career.^[4] In the Netherlands, she trained under coach Willie Storm at the swimming club Het Y in Amsterdam.^[1]

East Germany doping controversy

In the 100m freestyle, Brigitha finished behind two swimmers from East Germany, a country proven to have engaged in systematic doping of its athletes in the Montreal 1976 Olympic games.^[5] As a result, other athletes have called for Brigitha to be officially awarded the gold in the 100m freestyle and silver in the 200m freestyle. Brigitha has said she considers herself a gold medal winner.^[3]

American Shirley Babashoff, who would have earned three individual golds were it not for the East Germans, has been outspoken about this issue. She supports Brigitha and swimmers from other countries who were adversely affected by the East German illegal practices.^[6]