Today, many consider women's gymnastics the centerpiece of Summer Olympics, but back in the day, it was an afterthought. Women didn't participate until 1928, when the team competition made it debut in Amsterdam. It was won by the host Netherlands.

The Dutch were coached by a Jewish diamond cutter named Gerrit Kleerekoper, who made his team practice outdoors in order to better prepare for the event. Of the team's ten members, five were Jewish: Estella Agsteribbe, Elka de Levie, Lea Nordheim, Ans Polak, and Judikje Simons.

Today, Olympic gymnastic champions are lauded by their home nations. (Unless they are Chinese; those are lucky if they are are allowed to see their family once a year.) Back then, the Dutch women retreated to anonymity. In fact, they couldn't even defend their gold four years later: women's gymnastics was off the schedule in Los Angeles. (It returned in 1936 in Berlin, but let's just say many of these women would not be welcome there.)

In fact, there is absolutely no happy ending here: four of Jewish gymnasts, as well as the coach, perished in Nazi concentration camps.

Today, the least we can do is remember those pioneering Jewish Olympic champions...