Inge Sørensen, a Danish swimmer who held the distinction of being the youngest Olympic Games medallist in swimming, has died. She was 86.

Sørensen died on March 9 in New Jersey, USA.

Bronze medallist in the 200m breaststroke at the 1936 Summer Olympics at the age of 12 years and 24 days, Sorensen was the girl who refused to heil when Hitler walked out to present the medals for the breaststroke race won by Hideko Maehata (JPN) ahead of Martha Geneger (GER), before the two countries the top two represented would plunge the world into war.

She retired in 1944, and began teaching swimming. She wound up helping train the Swedish National Team in 1945, then married Janus Tabur in 1948 before moving to the United States for good in 1951.

Half of Inge Sørensen’s ashes were scattered over her garden in New Jersey, the other half will be placed on the family grave in Ordrup Kirkegård.