On the Shoulders of Giants
Discover the legends of athletics in our monthly feature -
Fanny Blankers-Koen
The greatest female athlete of the 20th century (as voted by the the International Association of Athletics Federations) came to the fore when the world most needed a champion to cheer. After a 12-year hiatus caused by the Second World War, the Olympic Games returned in 1948 and a war torn London still reeling from years of tragedy, hardship and rationing was the host city.
The ’48 Olympics produced the most vivacious atmosphere such was the appetite for sporting competition, positive spectacle and celebration. This unrivalled emotional state reached its height on the 7th August when the 80,000 people inside Wembley Stadium rose for the 4 x 100m relay finals to see Fanny Blankers-Koen dominate the final leg. Receiving the baton in 3rd place, the Dutch star showcased her incredible speed to overhaul the Canadian and Australian runners and secure victory. This Gold medal was Blankers-Koen’s fourth of the games, the first time a female athlete had won four Gold medals, and Blankers-Koen had achieved the feat in the one Olympics.
Few, if any, of the spectators wildly cheering from the stands on that Saturday afternoon would have known that Fanny Blankers-Koen’s preparations for the games had been greatly disrupted. She had only been able to train twice a week in the months leading up to August. The reason, Blankers-Koen had endured a summer of sickness that came with her third pregnancy. She was 3 months pregnant by the time the games commenced.
Born in Utrecht in 1918, Fanny Blankers-Koen demonstrated her athletic prowess across a range of sports from an early age. At the age of 18, she qualified for the 1936 Olympics in the High Jump and 4 x 100m relay. A fifth place finish in both events pointed towards the all-round talent of the young athlete. In the subsequent years, Blankers-Koen rose to the top of her sport. A World Record in the 100m, was followed by European Bronze medals in the 100m and 200m. During the war years, Blankers-Koen was confined to domestic competition and in these her prime years she set 6 new World Records across the 100m, 80m Hurdles, Long Jump and High Jump.
At the ’48 games, Blankers-Koen was 30 years old and had two children. She had defied expectations by continuing as an athlete after giving birth to son in 1942. At that time it was deemed implausible that a mother could compete as an athlete, and there were even very few married female athletes competing. Blankers-Koen with the support of her husband and coach Jan Blankers, was breaking the mould. Her actions did not go unnoticed and led to strong public opinions fuelled by sexist commentary in the press. It is hard to understate the importance of a female athlete shining through at this moment in history and particularly in an era when female sports were judged so secondary.
Blankers-Koen began the ’48 Olympics with Gold in the 100m, on a muddy wet track, dressed in a distinguished white t-shirt and bright orange shorts, she cruised to victory in a new Olympic Record. Two days later, Blankers-Koen took her second Gold in the 80m Hurdles, despite a slow start and clipping a hurdle, she recovered to stride to victory setting another Olympic Record. Weather conditions worsened by Friday 6thAugust and the 200m final, but the visibly heavy track had no effect on Blankers-Koen who raced to Gold with daylight between her and the rest of the field. Her winning margin the largest in Olympic 200m history.
Rules at the ’48 Games stated that female athletes were only allowed to enter 3 individual T&F events. This most likely wasn’t a huge issue for the majority of competitors travelling to London, however considering Blankers-Koen was the World Record holder in the High Jump and Long Jump, as well as being an extremely accomplished Shot Putter, one can only speculate on how many Golds she could have won had there been no restrictions on female athletes.
Blankers-Koen returned to the Netherlands a hero, a horse drawn carriage brought her through the adoring crowds in Amsterdam and Queen Juliana made her a knight of the Order of Orange Nassau (the Dutch Order of Chivalry).
And what of Ireland at the ’48 Olympics, well we did win one medal. 69 year old Meath native Letitia Marion Hamilton won Bronze in the Olympic Art Competition for her painting of a Point-to-Point Race.
Tadhg Crowley
7 October 2022