Eric Lemming

Eric Otto Valdemar Lemming, born on 22 February 1880, was a Swedish track and field athlete who competed at the 1900, 1906, 1908 and 1912 Olympics in a wide variety of events, mostly throwing and jumping. His best results were in the javelin throw, which he won at the Games of 1906 to 1912 and in which he set multiple world records between 1899 and 1912; his last record, 62.32 metres, was ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations as the first official world record. Javelin was not part of the 1900 Olympics, where he finished fourth in the hammer throw, high jump and pole vault. At the 1906 Intercalated Games he won the javelin and three bronze medals, in the shot put, tug of war and ancient pentathlon. At the 1908 Olympics he won two gold medals in two types of javelin throw, and he won another javelin gold at his last Olympics in 1912, where his half-brother Oscar placed tenth in the pentathlon. He died on 5 June 1930 at the age of 50.