THE CONNOLLYS
When U.S. Hammer Thrower Hal Connolly met Czech Discus Champion Olga Fikotova at the 1956 Olympics it was love at first sight. Inspired, both Hal and Olga set Olympic records. Their devotion to each other was so manifest that eventually a reluctant Czech government allowed Olga to leave the country as Mrs. Connolly.
Now settled in Santa Monica, in a little house five minutes from the beach, the Connollys lead a strenuous life. Hal teaches high school English and is training rigorously for the Olympics. Olga, who is a medical researcher and takes courses at UCLA, nurtures two high hopes: to enter medical school and to set a new mark in the women's discus throw. "We live by the clock and have every minute set aside for something," says Olga, "but living here is wonderful, like heaven."
The third Connolly, Mark, is shown here teething on the handle of his father's hammer. Taking into account his parentage and his mother's hearty cooking (roast pork, red cabbage and dumplings), Mark Fikoto Connolly would seem one of the bright early prospects for the 1980 Olympics.
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