Athletics: The death of an Olympic legend

AMSTERDAM - Dutchwoman Fanny Blankers-Koen, voted the female athlete of the 20th century, has died, aged 85.

Blankers-Koen won four gold medals in the 1948 Olympics in London, a record for a woman at a single Games.

The International Association of Athletics Federations yesterday hailed Blankers-Koen as "the world's greatest-ever female athlete."

IAAF president Lamine Diack said: "The whole athletics world mourns the parting of this great ambassador for our sport whose career feats have yet to be matched."

In a ceremony at the World Athletics Gala in November 1999, Blankers-Koen, along with Carl Lewis of the US, received their awards as the top athletes of the 20th century.

Often called the female equivalent of Jesse Owens, Blankers-Koen made her first appearance in the Olympics in 1936, at age 18, finishing joint sixth in the high jump and fifth in the 4x100m relay.

World War II wiped out the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, but in London in 1948 Blankers-Koen took gold in the 100m, the 200m, the 4x100m relay and the 80m hurdles,

In a career spanning nearly two decades, she set 20 world records, covering sprint races and hurdles, high jump and long jump, as well as the pentathlon.

She also won five European titles.

Members of the Dutch political and sports elite mourned her passing and praised the legacy of a woman who was sometimes dubbed "the Flying Housewife" because she was already a mother of two when she made history in 1948.

"Fanny Blankers-Koen has played an important role in the emancipation of women in the sports world," Dutch junior Health Minister Clemence Ross-van Dorp said. "She delivered her greatest performances at the time when was a mother."

Anton Geesink, Dutch Olympic and world judo champion, said her passing was a great loss.

He praised her as "one of the Netherlands' greatest athletes ever."

At the 1999 awards ceremony, Blankers-Koen, then aged 81, reacted with astonishment, saying: "You mean it is me who has won. I had no idea."

"When I think of all the great women athletes of this century and the young people who are doing so well, I must say that I am surprised, but quite pleased as well."

She added: "I can still remember every detail of every heat and final in London. Thankfully, my memories are still very vivid."

Her funeral is on Thursday.

- REUTERS

PATH TO GLORY
1918: Born in Baarn, Netherlands, on April 26.

1935: Sets first national record by clocking 2m 29s in the 800m.

1936: Makes Olympic debut in Berlin aged 18 and gets autograph from Jesse Owens. Finishes joint sixth in high jump.

1938: Registers first of her 20 world records with 11s in the 100 yards _ joining a host of other athletes on the mark.

1940: Marries coach Jan Blankers, a former Olympic triple jumper.

1942: Ties world record in 80m hurdles with 11.3s.

1946: A few months after birth of her second child, wins gold in 80m hurdles and sprint relay at the European championships in Oslo.

1948: Wins four gold medals at the London Olympics (100m, 200m, 80m hurdles and 4x100m relay) _ a record unmatched by any female athlete. Despite holding world records in high and long jump, could not compete in them because of a rule limiting women to three individual events.

1952: Ends Olympic career in Helsinki, pulling up injured in the 80m hurdles final. In all, won 58 Dutch national titles.

1999: Voted by IAAF as the best female athlete of the 20th century.