Great Olympians

Biographies - CO

Karen Cockburn

B. 1980-10-02, Toronto, Canada
Trampolining (2 silver, 1 bronze)
2000 2004 2008 HP
Trampolining bronze silver silver 17424
17424

Sebastian Newbold Coe, M.P.

B. 1956-09-29, London, Great Britain
Track and Field (2 gold, 2 silver)
1980 1984 HP
800 m silver silver 8000
1500 m gold gold 12800
20800

In 1979, he set three world records (800, 1500 and mile) within 41 days. By the Moskva Olympics, he had lost the 1500 m record to Steve Ovett, and it was expected that they would share the honours in the middle distance. When Ovett took the 800 crown however, Coe was determined to take revenge, and he did.
At Los Angeles, Coe again had to let the 800 go, but again he took the 1500 to become the first man to retain that title.
In 1981, Coe had set a World record at 800 metres, which by 1996 had become the longest standing in the record books, with even the Kenyans not nearing it by less than half a second (only LA Olympic champion Joaquim Cruz coming within 0.04 sec in 1984). The record was equalled by Wilson Kipketer in 1997.
In 1994, he entered the British Parliament.

Veronica Cogeanu

competed from 1992 as

Veronica Cochela

B. 1965-11-15, Romania
Rowing (2 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
1988 1992 1996 2000 HP
Double Sculls silver silver fifth 16875
Double Fours bronze silver 7380
Eights gold gold 9600
33855

When Marioara Ciobanu-Popescu (1),Veronica Cogeanu-Cochela (4), Elisabeta Oleniuc-Lipa (5), Ioana Olteanu (1), Elena Georgescu (1), Doina Ignat (1) and 3 new rowers stepped into the Eight at Atlanta, they had already won 13 medals between them. They outpaced the Canadians by over 4 seconds to win another gold and lift them high up the Great Olympian tables. Six of them returned to Sydney to repeat the triumph.

Tiffany Cohen

USA
Swimming (2 gold)
1984 HP
400 m Free-style gold 6400
800 m Free-style gold 6400
12800

Paul René Colas

B. 1880-05-06, France
Shooting (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
1908 1912 1920 1924 HP
Small-Bore Rifle, team bronze 480
Free Rifle, 3 positions 25th gold 33rd 6400
Free Rifle, free position 28th 0.019
Free Rifle, team fourth 7th silver 1650
Military Rifle, 3 positions 22nd 0.4
Military Rifle, Free position gold 6400
Military Rifle, team fifth 250
15180

Georgia Coleman

B. 1912-01-23, USA; D. 1940-09-14
Diving (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
1928 1932 HP
Springboard bronze gold 8960
Platform silver silver 8000
16960

Nadia Comaneci

B. 1961-09-12, Romania
Gymnastics (5 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
1976 1980 HP
Individual Combined gold silver 10400
Team silver silver 2000
Beam gold gold 3200
Floor Exercises bronze gold 2240
Asymetrical Parallel Bars gold - 1600
Vaults fourth fifth 650
20090

Deborah Compagnoni

B. 1970-06-04, Bormio, Sondrio, Italy
Alpine Skiing (3 gold, 1 silver)
1992 1994 1998 HP
Giant Slalom dnf gold gold 11200
Super-G gold 17th - 4804
Slalom - 10th silver 4075
20079

Mike Conley

B. 1962-10-05, USA
Track and Field (1 gold, 1 silver)
1984 1992 1996 HP
Triple Jump silver gold fourth 22500
22500

James Brenden Bennet Connolly

B.1868-11-28, USA; D.1957-01-20
Track and Field (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
1896 1900 1906 HP
High Jump silver - - 6000
Long Jump bronze - 27th 3840
Triple Jump gold silver 18th 15600.7
25441

The first gold medal winner of the modern Olympic Games did not get permission from Harvard University to travel to Athens. Upon his return, he was barred from further studying. In 1949 Harvard awarded the by then 81-year old writer an honorary degree.

Adolfo Consolini

B. 1917-01-05, Italy; D.1969-12-20
Track and Field (1 gold, 1 silver)
1948 1952 1956 1960 HP
Discus Throw gold silver sixth 17th 20707.5
20707.5

His career had begun in 1937, so he might have competed in six olympics. He bettered the world record three times between 1941 and 1948, when he threw 55.33 m.

Antonio Conte

B. 1867, Italy
Fencing (1 gold)
1900 HP
Foil for Masters fourth 2400
Sabre for Masters gold 9600
12000

Nathalie Cook

B. 1975-01-19, Townsville, Australia
Beach Volleyball (1 gold, 1 bronze)
1996 2000 2004 2008 HP
Beach Volleyball bronze gold fourth QF 14896.875
14896.875

Nicole Cooke

B. 1983-04-13, Swansea, Wales, Great Britain
Cycling, Road (1 gold)
2004 2008 HP
Road Race fifth gold 11500
Time Trial 19th 15th 17.4
11517.4

Charlotte Reinagle Cooper

B. 1870-09-22, Great Britain; D. 1966-10-10
Tennis (2 gold)
1900 HP
Women's Singles gold 8000
Mixed Doubles gold 4800
12800

One of only four ladies competing at Paris, and the first female gold medallist in Olympic history.
(128 HP)

Joyce Cooper

Great Britain
Swimming (1 silver, 3 bronze)
1928 1932 HP
100 m Backstroke bronze sixth 4800
100 m Free-style bronze 7th/8th 2888
400 m Free-style - fourth 1600
4x100 m Free-style Relay silver bronze 1640
10928

Iztok Cop

B. 1972-06-17, Kranj, Slovenia
Rowing (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 HP
Single Sculls fourth 2500
Coxless Pairs bronze 4000
Double Sculls gold silver sixth 17250
23750

Lillian Copeland

B. 1904-09-24, New York, NY, USA; D. 1964-02-07
Track & Field (1 gold, 1 silver)
1928 1932 HP
Discus Throw silver gold 15600
15600

Gian Carlo Cornaggia Medici

B. 1904-12-16, Italy; D. 1970-11-23
Fencing (3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
1928 1932 1936 HP
Épée, individual - gold bronze 11200
Épée, team gold silver gold 6300
17500

Kresimir Cosic

B. 1948-11-26, Croatia
Basketball (1 gold, 2 silver)

He appears to be Croatian.
(97.5 HP)

Marleny Costa Blanco

B. 1973-07-30, Puerto Rico, playing for Cuba
Volleyball (3 gold)
1992 1996 2000 HP
team gold gold gold 19200
19200

Member of the Cuban Volleyball team that won gold at Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney.
Her birth place is given as Puerto Rico.  I have not found any places in Cuba of that name, nor any explanation as to when she has moved from Puerto Rico (the Island) to Cuba, if that is what she has done.
She lists Fidel Castro as her most admired person, and this is apparently real, because not all the Cuban athletes say this.

Paul Vincent Costello

B. 1894-12-27, Philadelphia, Pa, USA; D. 1986-04-17
Rowing (3 gold)
1920 1924 1928 HP
Double Sculls gold gold gold 48000
48000

In 1920 and 1924 he partnered his uncle John Kelly, Sr. (father of Grace) in the double sculls; in 1928 he was partnered by Charles McIlvaine in the same event. His son Bernard Paul Costello Jr. (born 1929) won silver in the double sculls in 1956.
(480 HP)

Natalie Coughlin

B. 1982-08-23, Vallejo, CA, USA
Swimming (3 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze)
2004 2008 HP
100 m Free-style bronze bronze 5120
100 m Backstroke gold gold 12800
200 m Individual Medley bronze 2560
4x100 m Free-style Relay silver silver 2000
4x200 m Free-style Relay gold bronze 2240
4x100 m Medley Relay silver silver 2000
26720

Kirsty Coventry

B. 1983-09-19, Harare, Zimbabwe
Swimming (2 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze)
2000 2004 2008 HP
100 m Backstroke 12th silver silver 8040
200 m Backstroke gold gold 12800
200 m Individual Medley 18th bronze silver 6562.56
400 m Individual Medley silver 4000
100 m Free-style 28th - 0.0256
50 m Free-style 36th - 0.00065
31402.58624

At Beijing, in the 200m and the 400 m medley, she swam faster than the existing world records but came only second, twice behind Stephanie Rice. In the 100m backstroke, she swam a world record in the semi-final, but again won only silver - she kept the world record though. Her fourth world record then finally provided her with a gold medal.

Written 2000-11-28 - last modified 2002-09-30

This page is part of the site "Full Olympians" by Herman De Wael. See here for a full Introduction.