Happy Belated Birthday to 1967 ISHOF Honoree, Ethelda Bleibtrey, trailblazer for women’s swimming who was arrested due to her swimsuit was a pioneer in more ways than one!
Shared from The Olympic Games
American Ethelda Bleibtrey won every single event on the program in women’s swimming at the 1920 Antwerp Games. A unique achievement by a champion who also cut through conventions in her country, at a time when being a female swimmer came with a number of constraints, particularly with regard to swimwear…
Women first competed in swimming at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912, taking part in two events: the 100m freestyle, which was won by Australia’s Fanny Durack, and the 4x100m relay, won by Great Britain’s Belle Moore, Jennie Fletcher, Annie Speirs and Irene Steers. At Antwerp 1920, a third event was introduced onto the programme: the 300m freestyle. Ethelda Bleibtrey, aged just 18 (she was born on 27 February 1902 in Waterford, New York State), raced in, and won, all three!
The true story of Ethelda Bleibtrey. 🏊 #tbt @fina1908 @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/U5nyaZsGjy— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) April 20, 2017
Jailed for “nudity”?
Bleibtrey’s story is that of an emancipated woman who made a real difference for all female swimmers in her country. She first took up swimming in 1917 to help her recover from polio. At the time, social convention in the USA dictated that women had to cover up their legs – i.e. wear stockings – when they went swimming. In 1919, at Manhattan Beach, Bleibtrey removed her stockings before going swimming; this was considered a reprehensible act of “nudity” and Bleibtrey was arrested. Her arrest caused public outrage, however, to such an extent that not only was Bleibtrey not sanctioned, but it was also subsequently decided that women could go swimming without having to wear stockings! Bleibtrey was also one of the first women to wear a swimming cap.
Bleibtrey made a name for herself that same year, one year before the Antwerp Games, as the only swimmer to beat Fanny Durack in competition during the Australian star’s much-hyped and extremely popular exhibition tour of the USA. Providing some context, Patricia Reymond, Collections Manager at the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, explains: “When Fanny Durack and Wilhelmina Wylie were selected for the Olympic Games in 1912, thanks to pressure from the general public and after the wife of a Sydney-based entrepreneur funded their trip, their federation insisted that a chaperone had to accompany them. Durack’s sister and Wylie’s father took on the role and went with them. It was inconceivable to many people at the time – particularly in countries still steeped in Victorian morality – that young women could travel alone.”
There’s also the incredible story of what happened in Central Park: having dived into the Central Park Reservoir, Bleibtrey was arrested and spent a night in prison, before the Mayor of New York, Jimmy Walker, intervened. At any rate, it was a case of mission accomplished: a swimming pool was built in Central Park. It subsequently came to light that the whole thing had been a publicity stunt, orchestrated by the New York Daily News and the local star, with the aim of getting the necessary authorisation so that the reservoir at the heart of the Big Apple could be used for swimming!
Three gold medals in Antwerp – and it could have been more!
The pool that was used during the Antwerp Games was built specifically for the event, in the centre of a city still emerging from the ashes of the First World War. According to the swimmers who took part in the Olympic competitions, the water was dark and cold, and the situation was not helped by the chilly air temperatures. All of which meant that the swimmers were forced to huddle together to keep warm after each race.
The swimming costumes worn by the swimmers, meanwhile, were long garments made out of wool, cotton or silk, as nylon had not yet been invented; and it was virtually mandatory for them to be dark coloured. They were heavy and unpleasant to wear, and became transparent when wet, so much so that athletes were strongly encouraged to wear a bath robe, which they took off only for competition or to pose for the camera, as can be seen in photos from the 1912 and 1920 Games. As for Bleibtrey, she wore a swimming costume that was cut high on the back and under the arms, with a longer cut for the legs. Her outfit looked more like a short dress than a swimming costume. As Reymond explains: “The sartorial emancipation of women began after the First World War. They started wearing their hair short, corsets became a thing of the past, flowing and tighter-fitting dresses became the norm, and skirts became shorter.
The young Bleibtrey took to the water on 23 August 1920 in the third heat of the 100m freestyle. She won her race and set a new world record of 1:14.4 in the process. Forty-eight hours later, on Wednesday 25 August, she claimed her first Olympic title, beating compatriot Irene Guest by nearly four seconds in the final and setting another world record – 1:13.6 – which would last for three years.
In the 300m freestyle, she was once again head and shoulders above her rivals. The day after her victory in the 100m, she swam her 300m semi-final in a world record time of 4:41.4, 16 seconds quicker than Great Britain’s Constance Jeans, who finished as the runner-up. In the final, on 28 August, Bleibtrey was simply on another level, breaking the world record again with a time of 4:34.0 and beating silver medallist Margaret Woodbridge, also from the USA, by more than eight seconds.
Finally, on 29 August, she swam as the anchor in the 4x100m relay for the USA, alongside team-mates Woodbridge, Guest and Frances Schroth. The Americans secured victory and set a new world record (5 :11.6), with the reigning champions, Great Britain, finishing almost 30 seconds behind them. Bleibtrey explained that it was only because of the nature of the women’s programme that she did not win four gold medals in Antwerp: “At that time, I was the world record holder in backstroke, but they didn’t have women’s backstroke, only freestyle in those Olympics.”
Competitive swimming in the early 20th century
On the subject of the costumes worn at the time, Aileen Riggin, a gold medallist in diving at the same Games and in the same pool, explained in 1920 that the cotton swimsuits provided by the American Federation covered the arms down to the elbows and the legs down to the knees, so the swimmers preferred to take their own costumes to Antwerp, insisting that the “official” swimsuits would compromise their performances.
In 1931, she starred in a film that traced the evolution of women’s swimsuits, which required her to wear “that modest and enveloping outfit” of the late 19th and early 20th century. After one attempt, she refused to get back in the water, despite the director’s anger. “The skirts belled up over my head, the shoes weighed me down, the hat got wet and flopped over my eyes,” said Riggin. “I had to fight to keep my balance. I came as near to drowning as I ever have.”
Bleibtrey, meanwhile, who won in every distance at the AUU national championships, would remain undefeated throughout her amateur career. She turned professional in 1922 and is still the only female swimmer to have won all the events on the programme at one Games edition. Following a success-laden professional career, she became an acclaimed coach over many years in New York and Atlantic City, and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1967. She died on 6 May 1978 at the age of 76, with her name recorded in gold in the annals of the Olympic Games and forever a part of the history of her sport.
Ethelda and Dawn Fraser
Ethelda and Rosemary Dawson
Ethelda and Doc Counsilman
Mayor Ed Burry
Ethelda Bleibtrey at her 1967 ISHOF Induction in Fort Lauderdale, with a little help from Dawn Fraser, Rosemary Dawson, Doc Counsilman, and then getting a little assistance with her hand and footprints in cement from Ed Burry.
Honoring Black History Month: Female Swimmer Edition
18 February 2021, 07:15am
Honoring Black History Month: Female Swimmer Edition
Every February brings a month full of reflection, gratitude and a chance to honor some of the nation’s most inspiring black leaders and their contributions. In the world of swimming, there is no debating the excellence and accomplishments of several, prominent black swimmers who have opened doors for future generations of swimmers yet to come. With the constant push to create an environment that is all-inclusive and diverse, learning about some of the most prominent swimmers of the past and present is crucial in understanding the significance everyone brings to the pool. It’s also important to embrace our differences while focusing on the betterment of the sport and society in general.
Black women are important to highlight during this month of reflection and honor. In the sport of swimming, we have only ever seen but a handful of black females on the big stage in terms of national and global events. It was not until just four years ago that the first black female won a swimming event at the Olympic Games. Black women in society have been extremely marginalized and their time to be recognized and celebrated extends beyond this month. Here are some notable black, female swimmers who have changed the scope of the sport:
Enith Brigitha
Beginning with a true trailblazer, Enith Brigitha’s career was only the beginning of black female excellence in swimming. As a member of the Dutch National Team in the 1970s, Brigitha faced very fierce competition as the first African woman to compete at an Olympic Games. Brigitha competed at the 1972 Munich Games, as well as the 1976 Games in Montreal. She was a four-time finalist at the ’72 Games and earned two bronze medals at the ’76 Games, becoming the first African woman to win Olympic medals in swimming. Most notably, she swam in a time when the women of East Germany dominated almost every race due to systematic doping. Had this not been the circumstances she was faced with, Enith had the potential of earning several gold medals in her races. Alongside her Olympic accomplishments, she raced to five world records, as well as earned a silver and two bronze medals between the 1973 and 1975 World Championships. She also earned a silver medal at the 1977 European Championships. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in 2015 and will always be credited with setting the pathway for future black female swimmers to be successful.
Natalie Hinds
Natalie Hinds is a prime example of how swimmers can be talented on and off the pool deck. Hinds has a great list of accomplishments, as she raced for the Florida Gators in her collegiate career, becoming the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2013. She was a 20-time All-American and a member of the trio of African American women that swept the top three spots at the 2015 NCAA Championships in the 100 freestyle, alongside Simone Manuel and Lia Neal. Recently, she became a member of the inaugural Cali Condors ISL team. Hinds launched her own small business called Loominary Design, where she handcrafts designer tapestries. You can visit her site by searching www.loominarydesign.com.
Simone Manuel
Simone Manuel has opened many doors in the sport of swimming. She made her Olympic debut in 2016, walking away with four medals, snatching a silver in the 4×100 freestyle relay and 50 freestyle, as well as golds in the 4×100 medley relay and 100 freestyle. In her astounding 100 freestyle, she became the first black woman to win a swimming event at the Olympic Games. She has competed in four different World Championships, winning two bronzes, three silvers, and a whopping ten gold medals. Manuel completed her collegiate career at Stanford University, where she trained under the direction of Greg Meehan. During her time as a Cardinal, she helped lead Stanford to two Pac-12 Championships as well as two NCAA championships. She was a 13-time Pac-12 champion as well as a 14-time NCAA champion. Finishing her career, she held six American records and seven NCAA records, most notably becoming the first woman under 46 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle. Besides her work in the pool, Manuel is an inspiration for all swimmers as she has shown resiliency and determination in her fight for equality within the sport and society. Simone’s mark on swimming will forever be embraced by future athletes, coaches, and swimming fanatics alike.
Maritza Correia McClendon
After posting a successful age group and high school career, Maritza McClendon began to pave the way for black female swimmers. A University of Georgia alum, Maritza is a three-time world champion, two-time Pan-American champion, and was the first African American to compete for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team. McClendon is also the first African American woman to hold an American and world record. Maritza now works with the organization Swim 1922, an organization that partners with USA Swimming and Sigma Gamma Rho, with the goal of teaching African Americans and members of other minority groups how to swim. McClendon has left a huge mark on the sport of swimming and continues to share her experiences and stories of hope with others across the country.
Lia Neal
Another notable, Lia Neal is a force to be reckoned with. Neal was a member of both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games where she managed to bring home a bronze medal in 2012 and silver medal in 2016 as a member of the 4×100 freestyle relay. Alongside Manuel, Neal was also a member of the 2017 Pac-12 championships team, as well as a member of the 2017 NCAA championship team. She is an eight-time Pac-12 Champion and a nine-time NCAA Champion, as Neal served a crucial role in each relay during some point of her collegiate career. Neal has recently partnered with USA National Team Member Jacob Pebley in leading Swimmers for Change. Per the organization’s website, their mission statement concludes by stating, “Their long-term goal is to ignite lasting change in our country through educating, empowering and setting the example for the next generation of swimmers.” You can learn more about Swimmers for Change by visiting the website at www.swimmersforchange.org. You can also follow them on Instagram using the handle @swimmersforchange.
These women have opened the doors for change and continue to fight for equality in sport and society. Representation in the sport matters to thousands of swimmers and athletes across the country. We owe it to these athletes for championing the way for future black athletes and leaders within the sport. We must remind ourselves that one month celebrating black history is not enough. For their entire lives, these women have been at the forefront of breaking barriers and standing up for what they believe in. While the future of swimming holds promise, there is still work to be done.
Happy Birthday Jenny Thompson!!
Jenny Thompson (USA)
Honor Swimmer (2009)
FOR THE RECORD: 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4x100m freestyle, 4x100m medley), silver (100m freestyle); 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4x100m freestyle, 4x100m medley, 4x200m freestyle); 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4x100m freestyle, 4x100m medley, 4x200m freestyle), bronze (100m freestyle); 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver (4x100m freestyle, 4x100m medley); SIX WORLD RECORDS: 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, two – 4x100m freestyle, two – 4x100m medley; NINE WORLD RECORDS (25m): three – 50m butterfly, four –100m butterfly ,two–100m individual medley; 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (4x100m freestyle); 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (4x100m freestyle, 4x100m medley); 1998 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4x100m freestyle, 4x100m medley), silver (4x200m freestyle); 2003 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m butterfly, 4x100m freestyle), silver (50m butterfly, 4x100m medley), bronze (100m freestyle); 1997 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
(25m):gold(100m freestyle, 100m buttefly, 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 4x100m medley, silver (50m freestyle); 2000 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (25m):gold(50m butterfly, 100m butterfly),silver(100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle),bronze(4x100m medley); 2004 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (25m): gold (50m butterfly), silver (4x100m medley), bronze (100m butterfly); 1987 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle), bronze (100m freestyle); 1999 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle); 19 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: individual and relay titles.
When Jenny Thompson finished her swimming career following the 2004 Olympic Games, she was the most decorated U.S. Olympian with twelve medals, eight of them gold. From 1992 to 2004, she competed on four Olympic
Jenny Thompson Teams winning gold medals all as a member of relay teams, but in the process she set 15 world records mostly in individual events.
In 1999, she broke one of swimming’s most revered records, Mary T. Meagher’s 18 year old world record in the 100m butterfly. All totaled, she set 15 World Records – six long course in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly with four world records on relays and nine short course, all individual freestyle, butterfly and individual medley events.
Jenny swam for Mike Parratto (Seacoast Swimming Association, Dover, NH) from 1985-1991. She then swam for Richard Quick at Stanford University where she accrued 19 individual and relay NCAA National titles. When not at the University, she swam for John Collins at the Badger Swim Club. She competed in her last Olympic Games at the age of 31 in 2004 Athens where she won silver medals in the 4 x 100m freestyle and medley relays.
Thompson was the 1998 World Swimmer of the Year.
Remembering Skip Kenney on his Birthday
Skip Kenney (USA)
Honor Coach (2004)
FOR THE RECORD: 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: Head Coach Men’s Team; 1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: Assistant Coach Men’s and Women’s Team; 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES: Assistant Coach Men’s and Women’s Team; 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Assistant Coach Women’s Team; 1993 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Head Coach; 1987 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: Head Coach; Coach of Stanford University (1979-present) winning a total of 7 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS; Coach of 18 OLYMPIC SWIMMERS winning 16 OLYMPIC medals.
Skip Kenney was never a competitive swimmer, but he surely knew how to coach them. He developed all of local, state, national, collegiate and Olympic champions not only as individual champions, but also team champions.
Born February 24, 1943, he grew up in Fresno, California attending Fresno High School, playing baseball and doing a little diving. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Marines, went through boot camp and served in Viet Nam in the mid-1960s.
Kenney’s first swim coaching position was as Don Gambril’s assistant from 1968-1971 at Phillips 66 Long Beach. He also coached at Long Beach State during that time. When Gambril moved to Harvard University so did Skip, and he stayed there for one season before taking his first head coaching position at the Houston Dad’s Club in Texas. After a few years, Skip moved to Charlie Keating’s Cincinnati Marlins where he coached Renee Magee and Charles Keating, Jr. to the 1976 Montreal Olympics and Glenn Mills, Bill Barret and Kim Carlisle to the 1980 Olympic Team that was never able to compete due to the boycott.
In 1979, Kenney became the head coach of the Stanford University Men’s Swimming Team, a position he has held now for a quarter of a century. In collegiate swimming, he has won seven NCAA National Team titles and a record 23 PAC-10 Conference titles. He is a 15-time PAC-10 Coach of the Year, coached 93 All Americans to 785 All-America honors and developed over 63 NCAA champions. In his first 24 years at Stanford, Kenney has recorded a 177-35 overall record, including an 88-5 record (.946) over the past 11 years.
In the international arena, Coach Kenney was head coach of the U.S. Men’s Team at the 1996 Olympic Games after serving as the assistant coach of both the men’s and women’s teams at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and 1988 Seoul Olympics. He was the assistant coach of the women’s team at the 1994 World Championships and head coach at both the 1993 Pan Pacific Championships and 1987 Pan American Games. Skip will be the men’s coach for the U.S. Team at the 2004 Short Course World Championships in Indianapolis.
Kenney has coached 18 swimmers to Olympic competition winning ten gold, three silver and three bronze medals. His swimmers in World Championship competition have won five gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Some of his swimmers include Dave Bottom (American record holder); Ray Cary (1996 U.S. Olympian); Wade Flemons (1980 Canadian Olympian); Kurt Grote (1996 Olympic gold medalist); Joe Hudopohl (1992 and 1996 Olympic gold medalist); Jeff Kostoff (1984 and 1988 U.S. Olympian); John Moffet (1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympian and world record holder); Pablo Morales (three-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time world record holder); Jay Mortensen (1988 Olympian); Anthony Mosse (1988 Olympic bronze medalist); Sean Murphy (1988 Canadian Olympian); Eddie Parenti (1992 and 1996 Canadian Olympian); J. Plummer (1988 Australian Olympian); Brian Retterer (American record holder); Jeff Rouse (1992 and 1996 Olympic gold medalist and world record holder); John Simons (1980 U.S. Olympian); Derek Weatherford (American record holder); and Tom Wilkens (2000 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist).
Skip’s international coaching achievements are held in high esteem by his peers and he is respected for his ability to teach as well as coach. His strong sense of character is revered by his swimmers.
Skip is also a great clinician whose purpose is to promote swimming better at all ages.
IMSHOF Selects 13 Honorees for the Class of 2024
by DAN D’ADDONA — SWIMMING WORLD MANAGING EDITOR
23 February 2024, 09:35am
The International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF) is different from most sports halls – Honorees do not have to be retired to be inducted. The sport is often a lifetime activity – 50 years in some cases. One example, Honoree Michael P. Read, MBE – Class of 1978 swam the English Channel 33 times between 1969 and 2004 and other marathons until 2018. All 13 of the IMSHOF Honorees – Class of 2024 now become part of the IMSHOF family. They will already have met with; competed against; helped or been helped by other Honorees. One of the largest Honoree gatherings took place at the Induction and Awards Ceremony in London (see photo): 30 individual Honorees and representatives of 6 Honoree organizations.
This leads to incredible accomplishments in the sport by individuals after they become Honorees:
Elite Racers
From left: Chelsea Gubecka, Sharon van Rouwendaal, Ana Marcela Cunha: Photo courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Tokyo Olympics: Gold Medal – Honoree Ana Marcela Cunha – Class of 2019 and Silver Medal – Honoree Sharon van Rouwendaal – Class of 2022. This doesn’t count other Honoree swimmers plus coaches (including Honoree Catherine Vogt Kase – Class of 2024) and administrators (including Honoree Sam Greetham – Class of 2024). helping.
Honoree Leonie Beck – Class of 2024 won 2 majors in 2023: World Aquatics 10 km World Championship and World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup.
Going back 90 years or so, Class of 2024 Honoree Pauline Jackson would have been at the Canadian National Exhibition races at the same time as Honorees: Gertrude Ederle, Ernst Vierkoetter, George Young, Georges Michel, and William “Bill” Goll. She was also a member of the International Professional Swimmers’ Association which met in New York City – where she lived. It is likely that she met other Honoree members: Norman Ross, William “Bill” Sadlo Jr., Eva Morrison, Charlotte “Lottie” Schoemmell, Henry Sullivan, and William Wrigley Jr.
Solo Swimmers
The Oceans Seven is perhaps the ultimate bucket list achieved by only 27 swimmers. Six IMSHO Honorees reaching this level after their Induction:
Nora Toledano Cadena – Class of 2006
Elizabeth Fry – Class of 2014
Antonio Argüelles Díaz-González – Class of 2015
Attila Mányoki – Class of 2016
Rohan Dattatrey More – Class of 2018
Cameron Bellamy – Class of 2020
Honoree Lynton Mortensen – Class of 2024, had already accomplish the goal prior to IMSHOF selection.
Contributor – Coach
Probably the connected is Honoree Dan Simonelli – Class of 2024. He has already met with, competed against, helped or been helped by 75 other Honorees and all the current members of the IMSHOF Executive Committee. 42 during previous IMSHOF Induction & Awards Ceremonies in California (2015 and 2016) Naples Italy 2022 and New York City 2023. 33 others during Catalina swims/annual lunches, coaching clinics, the beach in Dover England – gathering point for English Channel swimmers and aspirants, etc. Dan will increase his “total” in Cancun México in May at his Induction and Awards Ceremony.
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with IMSHOF. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.
Throwback Thursday: When Ian Crocker Dazzled in 100 Butterfly in Montreal
by JOHN LOHN – EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
22 February 2024, 03:01am
Throwback Thursday: When Ian Crocker Dazzled in 100 Butterfly in Montreal
In this Throwback Thursday, we celebrate the day in which Ian Crocker clocked 50.40 in the 100 meter butterfly. Racing at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal, the 22-year-old delivered a swim that belied reality and, over time, proved itself to be a decade ahead of its time.
Ian Crocker never sought the spotlight. It wasn’t his style. He’d much rather strum his guitar or restore a car. Under the radar was the preference of the Maine native. But when you possess major talent and duel with the biggest name in the sport, as was the case with Crocker, it’s not easy to escape the bright lights.
What can be controlled, however, is the way one operates, and Crocker was a master of the businesslike approach. Set goals. Work hard. Chase excellence. In a Hall of Fame career that saw him compete at three Olympic Games, Crocker frequently found success, and proved that his way worked. And on a summer evening in 2005 at the World Championships in Montreal, Crocker put together one of the greatest efforts the sport has seen: an unthinkable 50.40 in the 100 meter butterfly!
GETTING STARTED
How Crocker arrived at that moment of athletic glory requires a recap of the prior years, and how he progressed from a rising talent into a world-class performer. After qualifying for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, which were held as his freshman year at the University of Texas was starting, Crocker showed his prowess Down Under. In addition to helping the United States to a gold medal in the 400 medley relay, Crocker just missed the podium in the 100 butterfly via a fourth-place finish and American record of 52.44.
His ascension was rapid from that point forward, as he followed a silver medal in the 100 fly at the 2001 World Championships with a title in the event at the 2002 Pan Pacific Championships. But it was at the 2003 World Champs in Barcelona where Crocker significantly enhanced his status and opened the door to what was possible in the 100 butterfly.
During the semifinals in Barcelona, Ukraine’s Andrii Serdinov (51.76) and American star Michael Phelps (51.47) exchanged world records and headed into the final expected to duel for the gold medal. Crocker, meanwhile, entered the final off a 52.31 clocking with a bronze-medal haul his likely best-case scenario.
Yet, when the championship race ended, it was Crocker who stood on the top step of the podium. Surging off the blocks, Crocker split 23.99 for the opening lap to take an advantage over Serdinov by 40-hundredths along with a 62-hundredth margin over Phelps.
While Phelps cut into Crocker’s lead over the closing 50 meters, there wasn’t enough room to completely erase the deficit. Both men went under the world record, Phelps at 51.10 and Crocker going 50.98 to not only crack the 52-second barrier for the first time, but to take the event into sub-51 territory.
“I mean, my goal going in was to go as fast as I could and see where that would take me,” Crocker said of his first world record. “I had faith it would take me far. I just didn’t know how far. My goal for two years now has been to go 51, and I guess I still haven’t made that goal.”
THE BEGINNINGS OF A RIVALRY
Although they had raced each other previously, the events of Barcelona officially launched the Phelps-Crocker rivalry, which saw several additional chapters written in the years ahead. At the 2004 United States Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Crocker lowered his world record to 50.76, with Phelps following in 51.15. A showdown at the Olympics in Athens loomed, and it was in the birthplace of the Olympics where Phelps caught Crocker in the final strokes to win by 4-hundredths of a second, 51.25 to 51.29.
The victory was one of six gold medals for Phelps, who won eight medals overall, and it gave him the right to handle the butterfly leg on Team USA’s 400 medley relay. Having already raced that leg in prelims, Phelps stepped aside and gave Crocker the duty. It was the ultimate in sportsmanlike gestures, and Crocker acknowledged the move as such. He then did his part on the relay, helping the United States prevail.
CROCKER’S MOMENT
For Phelps, the 2005 World Champs offered an opportunity to experiment with a different schedule than he attacked in Athens. He replaced the 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly with the 400 freestyle and 100 freestyle, events that did not yield medals. But the 100 butterfly remained on Phelps’ schedule, which meant another clash with Crocker.
For Crocker, Montreal served as a chance at redemption. No, a title there would not equal an Olympic gold. Still, it was an opportunity to regain his status as The Man in the 100 butterfly. That was a title that now belonged to Phelps, based on his Olympic crown.
In the preliminaries and semifinals, Crocker left little doubt he was in peak form. He followed a 51.19 marker in the heats with a 51.08 outing in the semifinals. They were times only Crocker and Phelps had ever managed. But Phelps wasn’t in the same shape as Athens, and Crocker made the final into a personal showcase.
Leaving no question from the start, Crocker blasted a split of 23.51 for the opening 50 meters and came home in 26.89. The merged splits produced a world record of 50.40 and had the crowd at Parc Jean-Drapeau in a frenzy. As Crocker approached the wall, there was a moment in which a sub-50 possibility crossed the mind. In the end, Crocker took 36-hundredths off his previous global standard. Phelps was the runner-up in 51.65.
In the years ahead, the rivalry undoubtedly swung back in favor of Phelps. At the 2007 World Championships, where Phelps won seven gold medals, he replicated their Olympic duel by tracking down Crocker in the final meters to win by 5-hundredths. At the next year’s Olympic Games, Phelps used an epic finish to edge Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by 1-hundredth, with Crocker placing fourth.
STILL COMPETITIVE TODAY
The time Crocker brought to the scoreboard on July 30, 2005, was considered Beamonesque, such was his gap over the opposition and how he lowered the previous record by a sizable chunk. Although his record was broken in 2009, amid the super-suit craze that temporarily changed the dynamic of the sport, it wasn’t until Singapore’s Joseph Schooling went 50.39 for gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro that the record was bettered by an athlete in textile.
Today, Crocker’s brilliance remains competitive. Seventeen years after it was produced, Crocker’s 50.40 would have won silver at the 2022 World Championships, just 26-hundredths outside of gold.
“I always assume that whenever I race against Michael, it’s going to take something amazing like a world record to win,” Crocker said in Montreal. “It’s definitely faster than I thought I could go, but you can’t put limits on yourself.”
That mentality certainly paid off.
Friend of ISHOF and Former SMU Men’s Swimming Head Coach Eddie Sinnott passed away on Tuesday, February 20
by DAN D’ADDONA — SWIMMING WORLD MANAGING EDITOR
Former SMU Men’s Swimming Head Coach Eddie Sinnott passed away on Tuesday, February 20.
He was 70.
Sinnott ’76 led his alma mater from 1989-2019. After swimming at SMU from 1972-76 and earning All-America honors in 1973 and 1974, the 16-time conference Coach of the Year led the Mustangs to 16 league crowns, and under Sinnott, SMU recorded 11 NCAA top-15 finishes, 80 individual All-America honors and 59 relay honors and 288 conference championships.
“Coach Sinnott won tremendous accolades over the life of his career and was a huge influence on his swimmers,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “We’re proud that he began his journey as a student swimmer at SMU, and will long remember his support for the men and women he coached and mentored.”
In 2019, Sinnott was selected by his peers for the 2019 National Collegiate Scholastic Trophy. The trophy is presented annually by both the CSCAA and the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) to the coach who, in the estimation of the recipient’s peers, has made the greatest contribution to swimming as a competitive sport, and as a healthful, recreational activity in the province of undergraduate and scholastic education.
“It’s hard to put into words the impact Eddie Sinnott had on SMU,” said Director of Athletics Rick Hart. “This was a man who spent more than 30 years on the Hilltop, from his time as a student-athlete through his decades-long coaching career. Coach led the SMU team and its individual swimmers to incredible heights collegiately, domestically and on the international stage, but more than that, he shaped the lives of hundreds of men and women here at SMU and throughout the swimming community.
“He will be missed by so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and daughters and the many who loved Eddie.”
An accomplished coach on the international level, Sinnott coached 11 student-athletes since 1992 who competed in seven different Olympic Games. In 1996, Mustang great Ryan Berube won a gold medal as a team member of the U.S.A. 4×200 free relay team. In the summer of 2000, Lars Frolander became the fourth Mustang to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games, taking first in the 100 butterfly in Sydney, Australia. Under Sinnott, both Berube and Frolander were named NCAA Swimmer of the Year within two years of each other (Berube-1996, Frolander-1998).
“Eddie’s loss will not just be felt here in the SMU community, but throughout the USA swimming community as well,” stated SMU Head Men’s Swimming Coach Greg Rhodenbaugh. “Eddie coached me when I swam here at SMU, mentored me as I started my coaching career and was a friend and brother for the last 40 years. He will be missed greatly.”
Sinnott also served United States Swimming in various capacities. He was the team leader and the men’s head coach of the U.S. squad at the World University Games in 1993, and a head coach and assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Festival team in 1987 and 1993, respectively. Sinnott also served as the head coach of the U.S. National Team on its European Tour in 1987. At the 2008 Olympics, Sinnott was the U.S. Olympic Team assistant manager. In addition to coaching for the United States, Sinnott served on the Olympic International Organizing Committee from 1984-92. He was the head coach for Haiti at the 1996 Olympic Games. He also served as the assistant coach for Colombia, Denmark and South Africa at the World Short Course Championships.
Sinnott’s impact on the sport, however, extends well beyond his conference titles, Olympic Gold Medalists, and All-Americans. Sinnott was instrumental in fundraising for the new Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium. Beyond the college teams, Sinnott helped teach in the SMU swim lesson program for most of his 40 years on campus, and was a leader in the Dallas swimming community.
A four-year letterwinner at SMU from 1973-76, Sinnott was the SWC champion in the 400 IM in 1973. Born in Greenwich, Conn., Sinnott is survived by his wife, Sioux, and their two daughters K.C. and Silver Ann.
Happy Birthday Elaine Tanner!!
Elaine Tanner (CAN)
Honor Swimmer (1980)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 silver (100m, 200m backstroke), bronze (freestyle relay); WORLD RECORDS: 5 (100m, 200m backstroke, 220yd butterfly; 440 yd freestyle relay); U.S. NATIONAL AAU Titles: 2 (1966: 100yd backstroke); COMMONWEALTH GAMES: 1966 gold (110yd, 220yd butterfly; 440yd individual medley; 440yd freestyle relay), silver (110yd, 220yd backstroke; medley relay); PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1967 gold (100m, 200m backstroke), silver (100m butterfly, 400m freestyle; medley relays); U.S. OPEN RECORD: 1 (100yd backstroke); CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 17.
“Mighty Mouse”, a tiny girl of heroic proportions, was no 98 lb. weakling. She dominated women’s swimming in Canada in virtually every stroke and distance in the middle 1960s, and with Ralph Hutton brought her country into the front rank of world swimming. Certainly she was the world’s most versatile woman swimmer of her era. Canadian press and public always expected her to win and she usually did in spite of the pressure of carrying her nation’s honor on her back. She came to the U.S. Nationals in 1966 and won over all in the 100 back and butterfly, the backstroke in world’s fastest time. In 1966 she dominated the British Commonwealth Games as no athlete ever had with seven gold or silver medals, won two gold and three silvers again in the 1967 Pan Am Games, and topped her career with two silvers and a bronze in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. Her road show included trips to South Africa (three times), New Zealand, England, and Russia, and she always went head-to-head with the host country’s best. She was the first Canadian woman to medal in any Olympics. Elaine was elected the Outstanding Athlete of the Commonwealth Games and the Canadian Athlete of the Year. Her honors included 17 National titles in four years and 50 Senior and Age Group Canadian records.
Black History Month: Historic Swimming Firsts in Black History
by BRUCE WIGO
09 February 2022, 07:37pm
Black History Month: Historic Swimming Firsts in Black History
By Bruce Wigo
In recognition of Black History Month, Swimming World takes a look at some historic accomplishments in swimming turned in by athletes of African descent.
Who was the first swimmer of African descent to win the Navy Medal for heroism?
Charles Jackson French, 23, a “Negro mess attendant” from Foreman, Ark., was commended by Admiral William Halsey Jr. and awarded the Navy Medal in 1943 for swimming six to eight hours in shark-infested waters, towing a raft filled with 15 wounded (white) sailors to safety, after their ship was sunk by the Japanese off the Solomon Islands. The raft was drifting toward Japanese-occupied territory, and if it had washed ashore, the sailors would have either been taken as prisoners of war or killed. The raft was eventually rescued at sea by an American craft. “His conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval service,” said Halsey.
Who was the first swimmer of African descent to win a national collegiate championship?
Chicago State’s Fred Evans of Washington, D.C. won the 100-yard breaststroke at the 1975 NAIA National Swimming Championships.
Who was the first swimmer of African descent to win an Olympic medal?
Holland’s Enith Brigitha placed third at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in the 100-meter free (56.65) behind the German Democratic Republic’s Kornelia Ender (55.65 WR) and Petra Priemer (56.49). We now know that both East Germans were doped.
Who was the first swimmer of African descent to make a U.S. national team?
UCLA’s Chris Silva of Los Angeles was a member of the World University Games in Edmonton, Canada, in 1982. The charismatic Silva was elected team captain. He also was an employee of ISHOF in charge of one of the nation’s first aquatic diversity programs at the time of his tragic death in an auto accident in Fort Lauderdale in 1991.
Who was the first swimmer of African descent to win an Olympic gold medal and an NCAA Division I title?
Suriname’s Anthony Nesty beat the USA’s Matt Biondi in the 100-meter butterfly at the 1988 Seoul Olympics by 1-hundredth of a second. Two years later as a sophomore swimming for the University of Florida, Nesty won the 100 and 200 yard fly at NCAAs. The 16-time Gator All-American also won the 100 fly and 4×100 medley relay in 1991, then the 100 fly in 1992. Nesty is now the head coach for his alma mater.
Who was the first African American swimmer to set an American record?
Atlanta’s Sabir Muhammad of Stanford University set a short course meters American record in the 100 butterfly in 1997.
Who was the first swimmer of African descent to make a U.S. Olympic swimming team?
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Anthony Ervin of Cal and the Phoenix Swim Club made the U.S. Olympic team in 2000. He was also the first to medal, tying Gary Hall Jr. for the gold in the 50 free and earning a silver medal in the 4×100 freestyle relay at the Sydney Games.
Who was the first female swimmer of African descent to win an NCAA Division I title?
University of Georgia’s Maritza Correia of Tampa, Fla. won both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle at the 2002 women’s NCAAs.
Who was the first female swimmer of African descent to set an American record and make a U.S. Olympic swimming team?
Again…Maritza Correia. At the 2002 NCAA Championships, Correia broke two American and NCAA records. In the 50, she bettered the record held by four-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken, and in the 100, she broke the record held by Jenny Thompson, the most decorated American swimmer in Olympic history. In 2004, she became the first female swimmer of African descent to win an Olympic medal: silver in the 4×100 free relay.
Who was the first swimmer of African descent to hold a world record and win an Olympic gold medal?
That distinction goes to Cullen Jones of Newark, N.J., and North Carolina State. Jones was a member of the U.S. team that set a world record in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay in 2006…and in 2008, he was a member of the gold medal-winning 4×100 freestyle relay in Beijing.
Who is the first woman of African descent to win an individual Olympic gold medal?
Stanford’s Simone Manuel tied for the gold medal with Canada’s Penny Oleksiak in the 100-meter freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Her winning time also set an Olympic record and an American record.
Who is the only female swimmer of African descent to hold a current world record in swimming in an individual event?
Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson currently holds two short course meters world records in breaststroke: the 50 and 100 (28.56, 1:02.36).
Who was the first Africa-American swimmer to swim across the English Channel?
Charles Chapman of Buffalo, N.Y., was the first African American swimmer to cross the Channel in 1981. The first person to swim the Channel was English sailor, Mathew Webb, in 1875.
Who was the first female swimmer of African descent to score in an NCAA final?
In 1988, Boston University’s Sybil Smith finaled in the 100-yard backstroke. Sybil’s daughter, Sloane Stevens, is a famous tennis player.
Who was the first swimmer of African descent to score in an NCAA championship final?
Ohio State sophomore Nate Clark from Pittsburgh finished fifth in the 200-yard butterfly at the 1962 NCAA Championships.
Who was the only All-American swimmer to win the Olympic decathlon?
Milton Gray Campbell, an African American, was a high school All-America swimmer as a sophomore in 1951 for Plainfield High School in New Jersey. He dropped swimming to focus on track, and won the silver medal in the Olympic decathlon in 1952 and the gold medal in the same event at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.
Who was the first female swimmer of African descent to make a U.S. National Team?
San Diego’s Alison Terry qualified for the U.S. national team that competed in the 1999 Pan American Games.
Bruce Wigo, historian and senior consultant at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, served as president/CEO of ISHOF from 2005-17.
Happy Birthday Douglas Russell!!
Douglas Russell (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1985)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 gold (100m butterfly; relay); WORLD RECORDS: 4 (100m butterfly; 100m backstroke; 2 relays); PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1967 gold (200m individual medley; 1 relay); AAU NATIONALS: 1969 (100m butterfly); NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1968 (100yd butterfly; 1 relay); AMERICAN RECORDS: 6 (100yd backstroke, 5 relays).
Doug Russell is the butterflier who won two Olympic gold medals Mark Spitz was supposed to win in Mexico–the 100m Butterfly and the Medley Relay at the1968 Games. In addition to his two Olympic gold medals, Russell, with his coach, Don Easterling, (then of Texas at Arlington, now at North Carolina State), made a habit of knocking off favorites in several different strokes.
Russell won a Pan American gold medal in the 200 I.M. and set an American Record in the National A.A.U.’s in the 100m Backstroke. In the World University Games in Tokyo, he set a World backstroke Record in the preliminaries only to lose in the finals to Hall of Famer Charlie Hickcox. As great as he was in the Backstroke and Individual Medley, he was at his best in the Butterfly.
If anyone was surprised by his Olympic performance, it wasn’t Russell. One of swimming’s all-time “head” swimmers, Russell often won because he wouldn’t believe he could be beaten.