Olympic flashback

This is the third in a series chronicling the history of swimming in the Olympic Games from Athens in 1896 all the way through Atlanta in 1996.

1908

[Antwerp, Belgium]

Countries: 29

Athletes: 2,668 [2,591 men; 77 women]

Evens: 154

Swimming Events:10 [7 men's and 3 women's]

Top Medal-winning Nations:

United States 94 [41 gold-26 silver-27 bronze]

Sweden 62 [17-19-26]

Great Britain 43 [15-15-13]

After years of devastating war in Europe and the cancellation of the 1916 Games, the Olympics returned. Belgium, which had been occupied for over four years, served as the host country. Unfortunately, the combination of a poor Belgian economy and high ticket prices kept many spectators . from attending, which prevented thee from seeing a great performance by the U.S. teams.

Ethelda Bleibtrey won the fire: women's swimming Olympic gold medal by an American, leading U.Sa sweeps in the 100 and 300 meter" freestyles, and pacing the 4 x 100 freestyle relay to an astounding 29-second victory over second-place Great Britain.

The American men were no slouches themselves, taking gold in five of seven events. Duke Kahanamoku raced to his second consecutive Olympic 100 free victory (1:01.4), and Norman Ross won the 400 (5:36.8) and 1500 (22:23.2) freestyles. Both men swam on the victorious 4 x 200 freestyle relay team.

The Central Powers-Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Turkey-were held responsible for their wartime conduct and were not invited to participate in the Games. It would not be the last time politics intruded on the Olympics.

[Paris, France]

Countries:44

Athletes: 3,092 [2.956 men: 136 women]

Events:126

Swimmmg Events: 11 [6 men's and 5 women's]

Top Medal-winning Nations:

United States 99 [45-27-27]

France 38 [13-15-10]

Finland 37 [14-13-10]

The Olympics returned to Paris after a 24-year absence, and the Paris organizers responded with, among other things, three important firsts:

the first Olympic Village to house athletes (men only-the women staved in a hotel);

the first live radio transmission of the events;

the first time the Olympics used lane ropes in the pool-ropes suspended by cork floats.

In between these lane lines, the Games also saw another dominating performance in the pool by the U.S. squad, which won five of six men's golds and four of five women's. Johnny Weissmuller, one of the greatest swimmers of all-time (see page 15), took home three golds by winning the 100 (59.0) and 400 (5:04.2) freestyles and swimming a leg on the victorious 4 x 200 free relay.

Duke Kahanamoku ended his Olympic swimming career by winning a silver medal in the 100 freestyle, just 4-tenths ahead of his brother, Sam.

Australia's Andrew "Boy" Charlton broke the U.S. hold on first place by shattering the 1500 meter world record by over 65 seconds, defeating Sweden's Arne Borg. Borg and Charlton would reverse places four years later in Amsterdam.

On the women's side, the U.S. took nine of 12 individual medals plus the 4 x 100 relay gold. This included sweeps of the 100 and 200 freestyles, led by Ethel Lackie and Martha Norelius, respectively. Only Great Britain's Lucy Morton could break the U.S. women's stranglehold, taking the 200 breaststroke in 3:33.2.

Aileen Riggin, who had won the 3meter diving four years earlier, took second in that event in Paris and also won a bronze in the 100 backstroke-the first athlete ever to win Olympic medals in swimming and diving in one Olympiad. At 93, Aileen Riggin-Soule is still competing in Masters swimming (see page 29).

[Amsterdam, The Netherlands]

Countries: 46

Atheltes: 3,014 [2,724 men, 290 women

Events: 109

Swimming Events: 11 [6 men's and 5 womens]

Top Medal-winning Nations:

United States 56 [22-18-16]

Germany 31 [10-7-14]

Finland 25 [8-8-9]

The days of complete domination by the U.S. teams appeared to be over, as swimmers from six different countries took gold. Alberto Zorilla of Argentina won the 400 freestyle (5:01.6), Swedish great Arne Borg took gold in the 1500 (19:51.8), and Yoshiyuki Tsuruta of Japan swam to gold in the 200 breast (2:48.8), presaging a superlative Japanese team performance four years later in Los Angeles.

The U.S. winners included repeat champion Johnny Weissmuller in the 100 free and George Kojac in the 100 back. On the women's side, Martha Norelius defended her 400 free title by going a world record 5:42.8, a full 15 seconds ahead of Maria-Johanna Braun of Holland. Braun had her turn at the top of the podium, however, winning the 100 back (1:22.0).

Hilde Schrader, the first German woman to win an individual swimming gold, went 3:12.6 to win the 200 breaststroke.

With Johnny Weissmuller and Clarence "Buster" Crabbe among its alumni, swimming can lay claim to being the source of two of Hollywood's biggest stars in the middle of the 20th century.

Weissmuller's swimming accomplishments are staggering-five Olympic goes, 67 world records, 36 individual national titles, first person under a minute in the 100 meter free, undefeated in his career in freestyle in any distance from 50 yards to the half-mile.

His film career is equally legendary. From 1932 to 1948, he made Tarzan famous, appearing 12 times as "Tarzan, the Ape Man."

Buster Crabbe`s Olympic swimming career included a bronze in 1928 and a gold in the 400 meter free in Los Angeles in 1932. He also set 16 world and 35 national records.

After seeing Crabbe's performances in the pool, a movie studio, hoping to compete with Weissmuller's Tarzan, hired him. He went on to star in 175 films, playing such action heroes as Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.

Copyright Sports Publications, Inc. Apr 2000
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