Jan York-Romary
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 6, 1927 San Mateo, California, United States |
| Died | May 31, 2007 (aged 79) Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Fencing |
Janice-Lee York Romary (August 6, 1927 – May 31, 2007) was a U.S. women's Olympic foilist who was the first woman to appear at six Olympic Games.
Born Janice-Lee York in Palo Alto, California, she learned fencing at Max Reinhardt's Dramatic Workshop in Hollywood, California, a club managed by her father. Romary attended the University of Southern California from 1946–1949, where she fenced at the University of Southern California Fencing Club.
She competed in women's individual foil at the 1948 London Olympics, the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the 1960 Rome Olympics, the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1968 Mexico City Olympics — the first woman to compete in six Olympics, a feat matched four years later by Romanian discus thrower Lia Manoliu and finally surpassed in 1988 by fellow fencer, Sweden's Kerstin Palm. In recognition of her extraordinary streak of Olympic appearances, Romary was honored at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 by being the first woman to carry the flag for the United States.
Though she never medaled at the Olympics, she was a finalist in women's individual foil in 1952 and 1956, finishing fourth both times: in 1952, she tied for third place, but lost to Denmark's Karen Lachmann on touches.
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