Fanny Blankers-Koen was bemused by her success and never comfortable with adulation, but the Dutch sprinter, nicknamed the Flying Housewife, was the first post-World War Two sporting superstar after winning four golds at the 1948 Olympics.
FILE PHOTO: Born on April 26, 1918: Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch Athlete Dutch 1948 Olympic Champion Fanny Blankers-Koen holds up her trophy as she poses with US champion Carl Lewis after they received their"Athlete of the Century" awards during the World Athletic Federation gala in Monte Carlo November 21. Blankers-Koen and Carl Lewis were elected"Athlete of Century" by the IAF .
Blankers-Koen went to London as a 30-year-old mother of two and her expectations were not much higher than to relive the excitement of her previous Olympic experience in Berlin in 1936, when she was a bright-eyed teenager. Yet in a matter of days, Blankers-Koen romped to the 100 meters gold, then the 80m hurdles, the 200m by a runaway margin and finally anchored the Dutch to gold in the 4x100m relay, taking the baton in fourth place and powering her long legs through the field.
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