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Halina Gorecka

The Olympic Games, or Olympics, are an international multi-sport event taking place every four years which comprise of summer and winter games. Though the first ancient games were held in 776 B.C, the modern games started from 1896. The unity of the 5 continents is shown on the Olympic flag by five colorful intertwined rings of red, blue, green, yellow, and black, created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin to represent at least one color of the participating country’s national flag.

Halina Gorecka nee Richter, born on 4 February 1938 in Chorzow, Poland, is a former Polish and German sprinter and a four-time olympian and an Olympic gold and bronze medal winner and a world record holder in women's 4 into 100 meters relay. She competed for Poland in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and for West Germany in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

She won the bronze medal in 4 into 100 meters relay at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and, in world record-time, the gold medal in 4 into 100 metesr relay at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Also in Tokyo, she finished seventh in the final of the 100 meters sprint.

In 1964 she became a double Champion of Poland in 100 meters and 200 meters, adding to her earlier Polish Championship in 4 into 100 meters relay in 1954. On 13 September 1964, a month before setting the 4 into 100 meters relay world record in Tokyo, she set an earlier world record in Lodz, Poland, also in 4 into 100 meters relay. In 1965 she left Poland for West Germany and got married there for the second time. Her appearance for West Germany at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City did not result in any medals.

Halina Gorecka, with all her dedication and devotion in her play achieved many goals in her overall athletic career. She had the ability of defeating the opponent easily by just giving some extra hard work and efforts. She never lost hope in herself and always fought hard to achieve her goal. She is still remembered as one of the best athletes in the history of Olympics.

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