Simone Biles won the gymnastics all-around gold medal for the USA yesterday and Simone Manuel won a 100 metre freestyle gold medal for the USA yesterday. This was the 21st time in Olympic history that two people from the same country, with the same first names, won gold medals in individual events on the same day. This is the 6th time it has been done by USA athletes. Here are the previous times it has happened. (With thanx to Michele Walker for bringing up this thought)
[table]
Name,Gdr,NOC,Year,Spt,Event,Date
Aleksandr Ivanitsky,M,URS,1964,WRE,Heavy FS,14 Oct 1964
Aleksandr Medved,M,URS,1964,WRE,Sub-Heavy FS,14 Oct 1964
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Aleksandr Popov,M,RUS,1996,SWI,100 m free,22 Jul 1996
Aleksandr Karelin,M,RUS,1996,WRE,Heavy GR,22 Jul 1996
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Aleksandr Dityatin,M,URS,1980,GYM,Rings,25 Jul 1980
Aleksandr Tkachov,M,URS,1980,GYM,Parallel Bars,25 Jul 1980
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Bill Smith,M,USA,1948,SWI,400 m free,4 Aug 1948
Bill Porter,M,USA,1948,ATH,110 m hurdles,4 Aug 1948
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Georgi Kostadinov,M,BUL,1972,BOX,Supra-Light,10 Sep 1972
Georgi Markov,M,BUL,1972,WRE,Light-Middle GR,10 Sep 1972
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Harry Mallin,M,GBR,1924,BOX,Supra-Middle,20 Jul 1924
Harry Mitchell,M,GBR,1924,BOX,Sub-Heavy,20 Jul 1924
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Ioannis Frangoudis,M,GRE,1896,SHO,Pistol,11 Apr 1896
Ioannis Malokinis,M,GRE,1896,SWI,100m free for sailors,11 Apr 1896
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Ioannis Georgiadis,M,GRE,1896,FEN,Sabre Individual,9 Apr 1896
Ioannis Mitropoulos,M,GRE,1896,GYM,Rings,9 Apr 1896
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Krisztián Pars,M,HUN,2012,ATH,Hammer Throw,5 Aug 2012
Krisztián Berki,M,HUN,2012,GYM,Pommelled Horse,5 Aug 2012
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Mark Breland,M,USA,1984,BOX,Middle,11 Aug 1984
Mark Schultz,M,USA,1984,WRE,Supra-Middle FS,11 Aug 1984
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Olga Kuzenkova,F,RUS,2004,ATH,Hammer Throw,25 Aug 2004
Olga Slyusareva,F,RUS,2004,CYC,Points Race,25 Aug 2004
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Ralph Craig,M,USA,1912,ATH,200 m,11 Jul 1912
Ralph Rose,M,USA,1912,ATH,Shot Put 2-Hands,11 Jul 1912
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Shinji Morisue,M,JPN,1984,GYM,Horizontal Bar,4 Aug 1984
Shinji Hosokawa,M,JPN,1984,JUD,Light,4 Aug 1984
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Steve Hegg,M,USA,1984,CYC,Individual Pursuit,1 Aug 1984
Steve Fraser,M,USA,1984,WRE,Middle-Heavy GR,1 Aug 1984
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Svetlana Khorkina,F,RUS,1996,GYM,Uneven Bars,29 Jul 1996
Svetlana Masterkova,F,RUS,1996,ATH,800 m,29 Jul 1996
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Tom Burke,M,USA,1896,ATH,100 m,10 Apr 1896
Tom Curtis,M,USA,1896,ATH,110 m hurdles,10 Apr 1896
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Valery Shary,M,URS,1976,WLT,Supra-Middle,24 Jul 1976
Valery Rezantsev,M,URS,1976,WRE,Middle-Heavy GR,24 Jul 1976
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Viktor Kapitonov,M,URS,1960,CYC,Road Race Individual,30 Aug 1960
Viktor Zhdanovich,M,URS,1960,FEN,Foil Individual,30 Aug 1960
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Viktor Shamburkin,M,URS,1960,SHO,Small-Bore Rifle 3 Pos,8 Sep 1960
Viktor Bushuyev,M,URS,1960,WLT,Sub-Middle,8 Sep 1960
Viktor Tsybulenko,M,URS,1960,ATH,Javelin Throw,8 Sep 1960
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Vladimir Engibaryan,M,URS,1956,BOX,Sub-Middle,1 Dec 1956
Vladimir Safronov,M,URS,1956,BOX,Sub-Light-Middle,1 Dec 1956
[/table]
Note that it has never happened in the Winter Olympics – far fewer events to choose from there. Also note the 8 September 1960 occurrence, when Viktor Shamburkin, Viktor Bushuyev, and Viktor Tsybulenko all won golds for the former Soviet Union on the same day – the only time 3 different athletes with the same name pulled this off on the same day.
And you guys thought I slept at night!