Hendrika Wilhelmina “Rie” Mastenbroek, the first woman to win four medals during one Olympic Games, died on Nov. 6 from heart failure. She was 84.
Born in Rotterdam, Mastenbroek trained with coach “Ma” Braun. In 1934, she captured three golds and one silver medal at the European Championships.
The Dutch swimmer repeated this pattern at the age of 17 when she won gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle, the 400 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay, and a silver medal in the 100 backstroke at the 1936 Olympics. Mastenbroek also broke nine world records — six for backstroke and three for freestyle.
At 18, Mastenbroek became a swimming instructor, a career move that made her forfeit her amateur status, thereby becoming ineligible for competition. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968, and received the Olympic Order, the International Olympic Committee’s highest honor, in 1997.