Ellen Gezina Maria van Langen (born February 9, 1966 in Oldenzaal, Overijssel) is a former Dutch middle distance runner. Van Langen has a degree in economics at the University of Amsterdam. Before she started running, she played football.
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, she won the Olympic title in the 800 m in a time of 1:55.54, a time which remained her personal best. After her major achievement, she was plagued by various injuries. Her best result after 1992 was a 6th place at the 1995 World Championships. She retired from the sport in 1998.
After her Gold Medal win in 1992 the Amsterdam unemployment benefits office terminated her dole on grounds that she might earn money from her victory in the future.
Famous quotes containing the words ellen and/or van:
“I know that each stage is not going to last forever. I used to think that when he was little. Whenever he was in a bad stage I thought that he was going to be like that for the rest of his life and that I’d better do something to shape him up. When he was in a good state, I thought he was going to be a perfect child and I would never have to worry; he was always going to stay that way.”
—Anonymous Parent of An Eight-Year-Old. As quoted in Between Generations by Ellen Galinsky, ch. 4 (1981)
“Confusion of sign and object is original sin coeval with the word.”
—Willard Van Orman Quine (b. 1908)