Competing in pair skating with skating partner and husband Walter Jakobsson, she won the gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics, where she was the only German-born athlete, and became the oldest female figure skating Olympic champion.
The pair also earned three world titles, in 1911, 1914 and 1923, and finished second and fifth at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics, respectively.
Eilers also had some success in single skating, winning a bronze medal at the 1911 World Championships.