Great Olympians

Biographies - VA

Ladislav Vácha

Czech Republic
Gymnastics (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)

(60 HP)

Vajda Attila Sandor

B. 1983-03-17, Szeged, Hungary
Canoeing (1 gold, 1 bronze)
2004 2008 HP
C1 1000 m bronze gold 8960
C1 500 m 9th 160
9120

Elena Välbe

B. 1968-08-20, Magadan (Far Eastern Siberia), Russia
Nordic Skiing (3 gold, 4 bronze)
1992 1994 1998 HP
5 km, classical style bronze - - 1920
Combined Pursuit (5km + 10km) bronze - - 1920
15 km, classical style bronze - 2400
30 km, classical style sixth
15 km, free-style sixth 3400
30 km, free-style bronze fifth
4 x 5 km gold gold gold 4000
13640

Member of the Relay teams of the United Team (1992) and Russia (1994, 1998) that won gold at Albertville, Lillehammer and Nagano.

Eniu Valchev

Bulgaria
Wrestling - Free-Style (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
1960 1964 1968 HP
-67 kg bronze 24300
-70 kg gold silver
24300

Yelena Valova

Soviet Union
Figure Skating (1 gold, 1 silver)
1984 1988 HP
Pairs silver gold 13000
13000

together with Oleg Vasilyev

Franziska van Almsick

B. 1978-04-05, Berlin, Germany
Swimming (4 silver, 6 bronze)
1992 1996 2000 2004 HP
50 m Free-style 16th - - - 6.4
100 m Free-style bronze fifth - - 3564
200 m Free-style silver silver 12th fifth 9944
4x100 m Free-style Relay bronze bronze fourth fourth 2288
4x200 m Free-style Relay silver bronze bronze 2508
4x100 m Medley Relay silver sixth fourth bronze 2420
100 m Butterfly 7th - 17th 17th 408
200 m Butterfly - - 28th - 0.0256
21138.4256

At Athina, she equalled the records of Harri Kirvesniemi, Heikki Ilmari Savolainen, Merlene Ottey and Alexei Nemov with SIX bronze medals, and she beat Merlene Ottey's (then eight, since then nine) record for the most medalled person without golds. (TEN)

(16828)

Paul Van Asbroeck

B. 1874-05-01, Belgium; D. 1959
Shooting (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
1900 1908 1920 1924 HP
Free Rifle, combined bronze comp. 2560
Free Rifle, standing fourth 400
Free Rifle, kneeling fourth 400
Free Rifle, prone 8th 24th 64.2
Free Rifle, team sixth fifth 12th 11th 410.85
Military Rifle, 300m, prone, team 14th 10.75
Military Rifle, 600m, prone, team 10th
Military Rifle, 300m, standing, team 12th
Military Rifle, 300m & 600m, prone, team 14th
Small-Bore Rifle comp. 9th 240
Small-Bore Rifle, team sixth 160
Military Pistol, team 7th 100
Free Pistol gold 7th 5200
Rapid-fire Pistol 52nd -
Free Pistol, team silver fifth 1100
10645.8

Pieter van den Hoogenband

B. 1978-03-14, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Swimming (3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
1996 2000 2004 2008 HP
50 m Free-style 9th bronze 17th 2724
100 m Free-style fourth gold gold fifth 23100
200 m Free-style fourth gold silver 15000
4x100 m Free-style Relay fifth - silver 10th 1402.5
4x200 m Free-style Relay 7th bronze - 740
4x100 m Medley Relay 10th fourth - 425
43391.5

(20150)

Kirsten van der Kolk

B. 1975-12-18, the Netherlands
Rowing (1 gold, 1 bronze)
2000 2004 2008 HP
Lightweight Double Sculls sixth bronze gold 15000
15000

Three times together with Marit van Eupen.

Arnold Vanderlijde

the Netherlands
Boxing (3 bronze)

Three bronze medals is a remarkable achievement in any sport, but in boxing, and in a period of professionalism it also meant an extreme amount of perceverance, especially for a boxer of a western country.
(118.8 HP)

Adolf van der Voort van Zijp

the Netherlands
Equestrianism (3 gold)
1924 1928 HP
Three-day Event, Individual gold fourth 10000
Three-day Event, Team gold gold 3200
13200

Twice riding Silver Piece

Amy van Dyken

B. 1973-02-15, USA
Swimming (6 gold)
1996 2000 HP
50 m Free-style gold fourth 8000
100 m Free-style fourth - 1600
100 m Butterfly gold - 6400
4 x 100 m Free-style Relay gold gold 3200
4 x 100 m Medley Relay gold qual. 1664
20864

Jacobus Johannes van Egmond

the Netherlands
Cycling (3 bronze)
1932 HP
Sprint gold 9600
Time Trial silver 6000
Tandem fourth 2000
17600

Marit van Eupen

B. 1969-09-26, Arnhem, the Netherlands
Rowing (1 gold, 1 bronze)
2000 2004 2008 HP
Lightweight Double Sculls sixth bronze gold 15000
15000

Three times together with Kirsten van der Kolk.

Anky van Grunsven

the Netherlands
Equestrianism - Dressage (3 gold, 5 silver)
1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 HP
Dressage, individual 36th fourth silver gold gold gold 62000
Dressage, team fifth silver silver silver fourth silver 5115
67115

Winner of the Individual Dressage at Sydney, Athina and Beijing. In 2004 and 2008 on Salinero.

Yvonne Van Gennip

B. 1965, the Netherlands
Speed Skating (3 gold)
1984 1988 1992 HP
3000 m fifth gold sixth 9850
1500 m 11th gold dnf 6464
5000 m gold - 6400
1000 m sixth - - 640
23354

Hubert Van Innis

B. 1866-02-24, Belgium; D. 1961-11-25
Archery (6 gold, 4 silver)
1900 1920 HP
Championnat du Monde silver 4000
Au Cordon Doré - 50 m silver 4000
Au Cordon Doré - 33 m gold 6400
Au Chapelet - 50 m fourth 1600
Au Chapelet - 33 m gold 6400
Target Archery, 28m, Individual gold 6400
Target Archery, 28m, Team silver 1000
Target Archery, 33m, Individual gold 6400
Target Archery, 33m, Team gold 1600
Target Archery, 50m, Individual silver 4000
Target Archery, 50m, Team gold 1600
43400

Belgium's most successful Olympian had only two Olympics in history, in which to excel in his sport. It has to be said that at Antwerpen, the Belgian organizers put on a host of events for the home archers to collect medals in.

Adam van Koeverden

B. 1982-01-29, Oakville, Canada
Canoeing (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
2000 2004 2008 HP
K1 500 m gold silver 10400
K1 1000 m bronze 8th 2816
13216

Leontien van Moorsel

competed in 2000 as

Leontien Zijlaard

and in 2004 as

Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel

Netherlands
Cycling (4 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
2000 2004 HP
Time Trial gold gold 19200
Road Race gold dnf 9600
Points Race silver 6000
Individual Pursuit gold bronze 13440
48240

(348)

Arie van Vliet

B. 1916-03-18, Woerden, Utrecht, the Netherlands; D. 2001-07-10
Cycling (1 gold, 1 silver)
1936 HP
Sprint silver 6000
1000 m Time Trial gold 9600
15600

Albertson Van Zo Post

B. 1866, New York City, NY, USA; D. 1938-01-23
Fencing (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)
1904 1912 HP
Foil, individual silver QF 3750
Foil, team gold 1200
Épée, individual bronze QF:5 2880
Épée, team R1 27
Sabre bronze QF 2880
Single Sticks gold 7200
17937

He was an American citizen, but competed in the Cuban team in 1904. In 1912 he competed (unsuccesfully) for the American team.

Emil Väre (Vilén)

B. 1885-09-28, Kärkölä, Finland; D. 1974-01-31
Wrestling - Greco-Roman (2 gold)
1912 1920 HP
Lightweight (-67.5 kg) gold gold 28800
28800

He became interested in wrestling at the beginning of the century in St.Petersburg, and soon became one of the best himself. He also won the World Championship in 1911.

Oleg Vasilyev

Soviet Union
Figure Skating (1 gold, 1 silver)
1984 1988 HP
Pairs silver gold 13000
13000

together with Yelena Valova

Valery Vasilyev

Soviet Union
Ice Hockey (2 gold, 1 silver)
1972 1976 1980 HP
Team gold gold silver 12600
12600

Written 2000-12-22 - last modified 2002-11-01

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