German
swimmer, who won four events at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montréal,
Québec, Canada, all in world-record times. She was the first female
swimmer to win four gold medals at one Olympics.Ender was born in Plauen, in what was then East Germany. She began swimming as a child, and by the time she was a teenager she had become one of the best swimmers in the world. At the age of 13 she won three silver medals at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, West Germany: She placed second in the 200-meter individual medley race and was a member of the second-place 4 × 100-meter medley and 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay teams.
Four years later, at the 1976 Olympics, Ender won the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, and 100-meter butterfly races. She was also a member of the winning 4 × 100-meter medley relay team and the second-place 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay team. Ender's outstanding performance helped pace the East German swimming team, which dominated the women's competition, winning 11 of 13 races. After the Olympics, Ender retired from competitive swimming. During her career she also set numerous world records in various events.