4. Swedish high jumper Gunhild Larking from the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, from archives of LIFE Magazine
A photograph from the archives of LIFE Magazine captures Swedish high jumper Gunhild Larking in a moment of sheer athletic prowess. Snapped mid-leap during the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, Larking embodies the spirit of her nation and the athletic ambition of her era.
