Irena Szewińska, Poland’s most decorated Olympian with seven medals across five track and field events, has died at 72, according to the Polish Olympic Committee.
Szewińska, a five-time Olympian, took gold at Tokyo 1964 (4x100m), Mexico City 1968 (200m) and Montreal 1976 (400m). She added two more silvers at age 18 in Tokyo in the 200m and long jump and bronze in the 100m in 1968 and the 200m in 1972.
She competed at her last three Olympics in 1972, 1976 and 1980 as a mom.
Szewińska broke 10 world records and was the only athlete, male or female, to hold world records in the 100m, 200m and 400m, according to the IAAF.
She was born to Polish-Jewish parents in the Soviet city of Leningrad but moved to Poland at a young age, according to Olympic historians. Szewińska had been an International Olympic Committee member since 1998.
Pani Ireno na zawsze w mojej pamięci 🙏🙏Będzie Nam Pani brakowało.W Rio spełniło się moje marzenie,kiedy miałam przyjemność otrzymać🥇Tak jak wtedy,podczas ceremonii łzy ze wzruszenia leciały strumieniami ,tak teraz łzy lecą po stracie tak wspaniałej osobowości R.I.P I.Szewinska pic.twitter.com/SZh1JYdrq7
— anita wlodarczyk (@AnitaWlodarczyk) June 29, 2018