Obscure European Athletes

[3a]

This thread is dedicated to those obscure, European athletes with limited success. Generally, my favourite kind of athlete for some unbeknownst reason. Anyway the first post is dedicated to stalwart, Simone Collio. Despite being the love child of David Guest:

Like Father like son:


Collio has managed to have long relationships with two of the most attractive female sprinters of the Millenium:
Emma Ania and now Ivet Lalova whom he is due to marry according to this:
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=142633

It makes me wonder, how many other athletes have married fellow athletes from different countries?

Also, what were the names of the German brothers who competed in the 100m in the 1990's. One of them had red hair??







http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=142633

[trickstat]

It makes me wonder, how many other athletes have married fellow athletes from different countries?

Also, what were the names of the German brothers who competed in the 100m in the 1990's. One of them had red hair??

Marc and Holger Blume who were twins.

As for married athletes from different countries I can think of a few off the top of my head:

Lisa O'Dea/Martin/Ondieki - Australian marathon runner who married an American steeplechaser and then a Kenyan distance runner.
Jana Pittman (Australian 400mH) & Chris Rawlinson (British 400mH).
Graeme Fell (British steeplechase) married Debbie Campbell (Canadian 800m) and eventually ran for Canada.
Ximena Restrepo (Colombian 400m) & Gert Weil (Chilean Shot Putter).
Valerie Adams (New Zealand SP) was married to Bertrand Vili (Discus Thrower from French territory of New Caledonia).
Shigenobu Murofushi (Japanese Hammer Thrower) married Serafina Moritz (Romanian Javelin Thrower) and then had 2004 Olympic Hammer Champion Koji Murofushi.

Possibly the most notable is the 1956 Olympic Hammer Champion Hal Connolly marrying that year's Discus Champion Olga Fikotova from Czechoslovakia. They met at the Olympics and their romance caused quite a commotion during the Cold War era.

[boysen]

GB lady long jumper and Italian pole vaulter....was there not a Russian male javelinist who met and married an American girl athlete, way back of course. GB male olympic silver 400 man and French athlete.

[SteveK26]

Boysen
The 400 man has since divorced the French athlete, with whom he had a daughter, and is now married to a Brit, ...with whom he has twin sons.

[boysen]

Thanks Steve, did know that but did not want to cloud the water. How about marriage twixt Irish/Scottish/English/Welsh? Kicking off with Paula, Liz McColgan, Tim Hutchings???

[3a]

Awesome knowledge!

I can think of a heap of compatriots who got married, but not so many from differing countries.

Didn't know any of the ones you mentioned. I should probably start a thread on children of famous athletes, it's also mildly interesting to note

[boysen]

If memory serves there have been a number of East European athletes who married fellow athletes, usually from their own nation. Note Gold medallist Borzov and Gymnast Tourischeva. 1968 Gold gymnast Tslavska and Oldlozil(spelling?).

[Ursus]

Richard Slaney & Mary Decker

[malcolm.fenton]

GB lady long jumper and Italian pole vaulter....was there not a Russian male javelinist who met and married an American girl athlete, way back of course. GB male olympic silver 400 man and French athlete.

The thrower was Janis Donins, who was Soviet No.2 to Janis Lusis. He married an american, but I don't think she was an athlete...... Kathy?

[boysen]

GB marriage ets, Tooby and Wightman, Piercy and ?, Ford and one of twins, Soos aand Dobrisky,Brightwell and Packer,Garry Cook and GB's greatest lady sprinter,Rawlinson and Oz hurdler, Gary Oakes and sprinter,Bill Hartley and Donna, Carl Myers. and USA hammer thrower. These are mainly upper echelon performers, the marriages in some cases has foundered. Must be dozens of lesser lights matched up.

[Ursus]

And of course Emil Zatopek had the good sense to marry a javelin thrower, Dana Zatopkova nee Ingrova who won gold at the 1952 OG only an hour after her husband had won the 5K. Any higher achieving couples?

Right at the bottom of the low life scale are the former Mr & Mrs CJ Hunter.

[trickstat]

And of course Emil Zatopek had the good sense to marry a javelin thrower, Dana Zatopkova nee Ingrova who won gold at the 1952 OG only an hour after her husband had won the 5K.

As an aside, Dana and Emil were born on exactly the same day.