FOSTER NIUMATA
FILE - This July 29, 1948 file photo, showing the opening ceremony of the 1948 Olympic Games at Wembley Stadium, in London, England. London was still cleaning up bombing damage from World War II when it staged the Olympics in 1948. Britain was also struggling financially; food, clothing and gas were still being rationed. The athletes had to bring their own towels and, with housing in short supply, were accommodated in schools and Royal Air Force camps. The games were organized in less than two years, and despite the tiny budget it was a success, its legacies including greater sporting opportunities for women. (AP Photo, File )
Hungary's one-armed shooter wins 1948 Olympic gold

By Foster Niumata Aug. 01, 2020 02:07 PM EDT
The grenade exploded while Károly Takács was holding it.

FILE - In this Aug. 2, 1948 file photo, Fanny Blankers-Koen, right, of Holland crosses the finish line in 11.9 seconds to win the Women's 100-meter Dash Final in the Olympic Games at Wembley Stadium, Eng. Britain's D. G. Manley (691) is second, Australia's S. B. Strickland (668) third Canada's V. Myers , hidden by camera finishes fourth while teammate Pat Jones (679) finished fifth, and Jamaica's E. Thompson (702) finished sixth. Women were limited in what they could do at the 1948 London Olympics so it was ironic that the biggest personality was a mother of two. Fanny Blankers-Koen was 30, the oldest woman among the track and field entries and considered past her prime. But she won the 100 and 200 meters, the 80-meter hurdles and the 4x100-meter relay. She remains the only female track and field athlete to win four gold medals at a single Olympics. (AP Photo, File)
Fanny Blankers-Koen shattered myths at 1948 Olympics

By Foster Niumata Aug. 01, 2020 01:16 PM EDT
The biggest star of the 1948 Olympics was a 30-year-old mother of two who

FILE - In this July 29, 1948 file photo, British athlete John Mark holds the Olympic Flame aloft as he makes his circuit of the Olympic track during the opening ceremony of the XIV Olympiad, in Wembley Stadium, London. London was still cleaning up bombing damage from World War II when it staged the Olympics in 1948. Britain was also struggling financially; food, clothing and gas were still being rationed. The athletes had to bring their own towels and, with housing in short supply, were accommodated in schools and Royal Air Force camps. The games were organized in less than two years, and despite the tiny budget it was a success, its legacies including greater sporting opportunities for women. (AP Photo, File)
Austerity Games of 1948 revive Olympic spirit after WWII

By Foster Niumata Aug. 01, 2020 12:43 PM EDT
After the controversial 1936 Berlin Games, it was important to believers in the