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Sporting Witness: Love at the Cold War Olympics

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17/12/2016 GMT

Love at the Cold War Olympics

BBC World Service - Sporting Witness, Love at the Cold War Olympics

The Czech discus thrower punished for falling in love with an American at the 1956 games.

How Czechoslovak discus thrower, Olga Fikotova, was punished for falling in love with an American at the 1956 games - despite winning a gold medal.

At the 1956 Olympics, the Czechoslovak discus thrower, Olga Fikotova, caused a scandal by falling in love with an American hammer thrower called Harold Connolly. Despite winning her country's only gold medal, Olga was treated as a potential traitor by the communist government and her achievements were ignored. A few months later, Harold Connolly visited Prague to marry Olga and take her back to America with him. Olga Fikotova tells her story to Claire Bowes.

PHOTO: Harold Connolly and Olga Fikotova on their honeymoon in 1957 (Associated Press)

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