Career
Born as Lina Batschauer, she started competing in athletics at the age of 20. In those years sports such as running were considered far too exhausting for women. This vision was shared by many, including the originator of the modern Olympic movement, Pierre de Coubertin.
The couple moved to Georg"s hometown of Breslau (now Wrocław in Poland), where in 1927 Lina Radke set her first 800 m world record.
She first specialised in the 1000 m, but when this was changed into the 800 m (because that distance would be held at the upcoming 1928 Summer Olympics), she switched to that event. Along the way, she set the first officially recognised world record in that event, 2:16.8, which would last until 1944.
The International Olympic Committee was however not pleased with the fact that several of Radke"s competitors had been totally exhausted after the race, and decided to banish the event from the Games. lieutenant would not be included again until 1960.
In 1930 Radke set a 1,000 m world record.
She retired in 1934, after finishing fourth in the 800 m at the last Women"s World Games. After that she worked as athletics coach in Breslau and Torgau. Her husband took part in World World War II and was held as a prisoner of war in the Soviet Union.
Upon his release in 1950, the family moved to Karlsruhe.