Fanny Blankers-Koen in international athletics hall of fame

Dutch athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen, who won four gold medals at the 1948 London Olympics, has been given a place in the international athletics federation’s hall of fame.


Blankers-Koen is one of 12 athletes to be honoured, alongside the likes of Jesse Owens, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Edwin Moses.
Known as the flying housewife, Blankers-Koen had a successful athletics career before the Olympics.
In London, she focused on the 100m, 200m and 80m hurdles and opted to not contest the high and long jump, despite being the world record holder in both disciplines. She won gold in all three events and was part of the Dutch 4x100m relay team which also took gold.
In 1999, five years before her death at the age of 85, she was voted Female Athlete of the Century by the IAAF.
Hall of Fame profile

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