Biography
Born in Rotterdam, she started swimming under the coaching of "Ma" Braun, who had coached her daughter to an Olympic gold medal in 1928. In 1934, Mastenbroek won three gold medals and a silver at the European Championships.
She repeated that performance at the 1936 Summer Olympics, aged only 17, winning the 100 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle and the 4×100 m freestyle. In the 100 m backstroke, she finished second behind teammate Nida Senff. (Senff missed a turning point and had to swim back before completing the last 50 m. She nevertheless beat Mastenbroek thanks to an outstanding last leg.)
The following year she became a swimming instructor, thereby losing her amateur status and becoming ineligible for competition.
During her career she broke nine world records (six for backstroke and three for freestyle). In 1968 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. In 1997 she received the Olympic Order.
She died at age 84 in Rotterdam. After her death, Stichting Aquarius named the Rie Mastenbroek Trophy after her.
References
{{Footer Olympic Champions 100 m Freestyle Women}}{{Footer Olympic Champions 400 m Freestyle Women}}{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Women}}{{Footer European Champions 400m Freestyle Women}}{{Footer European Champions 100m Backstroke Women}}{{Footer European Champions 4x100m Freestyle Women}}{{Authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Mastenbroek, Rie}} 17 : 1919 births|2003 deaths|Olympic swimmers of the Netherlands|Dutch female swimmers|Swimmers at the 1936 Summer Olympics|Sportspeople from Rotterdam|Olympic gold medalists for the Netherlands|Olympic silver medalists for the Netherlands|Former world record holders in swimming|Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics|Female freestyle swimmers|Female backstroke swimmers|European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming|Recipients of the Olympic Order|International Swimming Hall of Fame inductees|Olympic gold medalists in swimming|Olympic silver medalists in swimming