Ilona Elek

Olympic fencing champion considered one of the greatest female fencers in history

Ilona Elek was a Hungarian Olympic fencing (foil) champion who won more international titles than any other woman.

Born in Budapest in 1907, she is still considered one of the greatest female fencers in the sport's history.

Elek was 29 years old when she competed in fencing (foil) in her first Olympics. She became the first Hungarian woman to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Games. In the final pool, she faced and defeated the winners of the last two Olympic championships, bettering Helene Mayer of Germany 5-4 and Ellen Preis of Austria 5-3 to gain the gold medal.

World War II suspended the next two Olympics. The games resumed in 1948 in London. Elek became one of only two champions from 1936 to successfully defend her title. In addition, the London games marked the 5th Olympics in a row that a Jewish woman had won the gold medal in foil.

To achieve the gold medal after a 12-year interlude was a tremendous achievement in itself. But the manner in which she won added to the drama. In her next-to-last bout she trailed Maria Cerra of the United States 2-0 before scoring four straight hits. Then, with the winner earning the gold medal, she defeated Denmark's Karen Lachmann 4-2 as well. Elek's sister, Margit, placed sixth in the same event.

Despite being 45 years old, Ilona returned to the Olympics one more time in 1952. She won her first twenty bouts, and appeared poised to capture gold again however she faltered, losing to Maxine Mitchell and then, in the fight for gold, lost two consecutive 4-3 matches to Irene Camber of Italy.

Ilona Elek died on July 24, 1988.