Theme: Sports Watching
Each year at the end of May the FBK (Fanny Blankers-Koen) games are held in the Stadion with same name.
She is most famous for winning four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. At that time, she was already a mother of two, which was unheard of at a time where female athletes were still frowned upon by many. It earned her the nickname "The Flying Housewife".
Having started competing in athletics in 1935, she took part in the 1936 Summer Olympics a year later. Although international competition was hampered by World War II, Blankers-Koen set several world records during that period, in events as diverse as the long jump, the high jump, sprint and hurdling events.
Apart from her four Olympic titles, she won five European titles, 58 Dutch championships and set or tied 12 world records. She retired from athletics in 1955, after which she became leader of the Dutch female track and field team. In 1999, she was voted "Female Athlete of the Century" by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
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Address: Kuipersdijk - Hengelo
Directions: SE of City Center
Website: http://www.fbk-games.nl/
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on May 13, 2007
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