1.Fanny Blankers-Koen
The Dutch track-and-field star was the first woman to win four gold medals at a single Olympics (1948), and she also set world records in seven events. Olympic rules limited Blankers-Koen to participating in only three individual events at the 1948 Games. She won the 100-metre sprint by a comfortable margin, but in the 80-metre hurdles she had to overcome both a slow start and a bumped hurdle in order to secure a narrow victory. Despite winning gold in her first two events, an emotionally spent Blankers-Koen was not confident going into the 200-metre event. Feeling both pressured to win and reviled for even participating, she burst into tears and told her husband that she wanted to withdraw. She reconsidered, however, and went on to win the final by a decisive margin, despite muddy conditions. In her last event, the 4 × 100 relay, she received the baton in fourth place and caught the lead runner at the finish line. Nicknamed the “Flying Housewife” by the press, Blankers-Koen received a hero’s welcome when she returned to the Netherlands.
2.Nadia Comaneci
Not only did the Romanian gymnast become the first athlete to score a perfect 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event, she also won gold medals for the balance beam, uneven bars, and the all-around individual competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. The song used to accompany her floor exercises was retitled “Nadia’s Theme” and became an international hit, winning a Grammy award in 1977.
