Elena Belova

Elena Dmitriyevna Novikova-Belova, known professionally as Elena Belova, is a retired Russian foil fencer born on 28 July 1947. She competed at the Olympics of 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980 in the individual and team events and won four gold, one silver and one bronze medal, becoming the first female fencer to win four Olympic gold medals. She nearly won a fifth gold in 1976 but lost her last pool match to the last-placed fencer. Belova also won eight world titles, individually in 1969 and with the Soviet team in 1970 to 1979. She married the future modern pentathlon world champion Vyacheslav Belov shortly before the 1968 Games, graduated from the Minsk Institute of Pedagogy in 1970, received the Olympic Order in Silver in 1997 and the Pierre de Coubertin Medal in 2007, and has an asteroid, 24426 Belova, named in her honor.