Kornelia ENDER

Germany’s Kornelia Ender was one of the first three women swimmers to have won a total of eight Olympic medals, a record since broken by Jenny Thompson, and several other swimmers. Her first Olympic medals came in 1972 when she finished second in the 200 metre individual medley, and helped the German Democratic Republic win silver medals in both relays. Ender won four gold medals in 1976 in the 100 metres and 200 metres freestyle, the 100 metres butterfly and the 400 metre medley relay, and added her eighth medal, a silver, in an upset loss to the Americans in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay. The most prolific female record breaker of modern times, she set 23 individual world records (1973-1976) in currently recognized events, including 10 at 100 metre freestyle, four at 200 metre freestyle, six at the 100 metre butterfly, two in the 200 individual medley, and one in the 100 metre backstroke. Ender won 10 medals (eight gold, two silver) at the World Championships, which was also a record. In both 1973 and 1975 she won four gold medals at the World Championships. Kornelia Ender married Roland Matthes, a four-time Olympic backstroke champion, but they divorced, and she then married Olympic decathlete and bobsledder Steffen Grummt.