With the world free of tyranny (somewhat), the Summer Games were held in London during 1948, and our Olympic Wednesday column today takes on that olympiad. The 1940 Helsinki events had been canceled, as had the 1944 London Games; now it was time to heal as over 4,400 athletes from 59 countries made the journey to compete in 153 events across 24 disciplines—while Germany, Japan, and the USSR were absent.

The United States asserted itself as the leader in the athletic world with 84 medals overall, easily outdistancing Sweden (46), France (32), and Italy (31). Americans also won 38 gold medals, which demonstrated the dominance. Host Great Britain (27) finished sixth on the medal tables, as the “athletic Cold War” took shape with this clear dominance by Western European nations and the United States.

Most Outstanding Male Athlete: Veikko Huhtanen, Finland

The only competitor at these Games to win 5 medals, Finnish gymnast Veikko Huhtanen took home 3 gold (individual all around, pommel horse, team all around), 1 silver (parallel bars), and 1 bronze (horizontal bar) medals. He also took sixth in the horse vault, 11th in the rings, and 34th in the floor exercise. At age 29, he was older than we might think for a gymnast, and he did not qualify for the 1952 Games. So be it, right?

Most Outstanding Female Athlete: Fanny Blankers-Koen, The Netherlands

Dutch track star Fanny Blankers-Koen had the best Olympics of any athlete in 1948, winning 4 gold medals—more than any other person in these Games. She won the 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles, and the 4x100m relay with her compatriots. She competed in Berlin, finishing in the Top 6 for both 4x100m relay and the high jump, but after waiting 12 years, she really impressed the world in London at age 30. Amazing!

Most Outstanding Male Team: American Swimming & Diving

The U.S. men won every swimming & diving event at the London Games: 6 swimming and 2 diving events, in total. In fact, overall? The American men took home 16 of the available 24 medals in these 8 events, too: 5 of 6 in diving and 11 of 18 in swimming. Multiple medalists included divers Bruce Harlan and Sammy Lee, plus swimmer Jimmy McLane. Of course, the famous name is Lee who would win another gold in 1952.

Most Outstanding Female Team: American Diving

The American women divers matched their male counterparts in winning 5 of the 6 possible medals in the two diving events, platform and springboard. Vicki Draves won both golds, actually, which is a great trivia question/answer waiting to be used. Also, Patsy Elsener won the silver in platform and the bronze in springboard, with Zoe Ann Olsen taking the silver in springboard. Olsen later married Jackie Jensen.