Page 87 - Celebrating 50 Years of the International swimming Hall of Fame

Remembering the ISHOF Class of 1968
last 40 meters of the race, “Miss especially for promoting Camel cigarettes. For many years
Mastenbroek came up from behind she taught swimming and diving at her own “Dorothy
as if Miss Hveger had been Poynton Aquatic Club” in Los Angeles where she won her
standing still” and in a smother first Olympic gold medal.
of foam, the race was over and
the Netherlands had it’s fourth
gold medal. Mastenbroek’s gold
medals in the 100m, 400m and
4x100m relay, along with a silver
in the 100m backstroke was the
greatest individual performance by
a woman until it was matched by
An emotional Rie Mastenbroek American Sharon Stouder in 1964.
with her Hall of Fame coach
Ma Braun at the 1936 Olympic
Games.
Harry Hebner - Honor Swimmer (USA)
Hebner’s career spanned three
Olympic teams (1908, 1912, and
1920) in water polo, freestyle, and
backstroke swimming. He was the
Olympic backstroke gold medal Dorothy Poynton Hill endorsing Camel cigarettes
winner in 1912 and for seven years,
beginning in 1910, he held all George Hodgson - Honor Swimmer (CAN)
world backstroke records and won Born in Montreal, Hodgson was
seven straight U.S. Nationals on Harry Hebner in 1912 nurtured by accomplished athletes.
his back. He won a total of 35 U.S. His father was a member of the
national championships ranging famous Canadian lacrosse team
from 50 to 500 yards freestyle, plus that toured England in 1878, while
all backstroke distances. He was his uncle was on a Stanley Cup-
one of the first “amateur” athletes to winning team from the Montreal
promote products of the American Amateur Athletic Association.
Tobacco Company. “Take it from Thanks to the opportunities afforded
me,” Hebner said, “the greatest by his family, Hodgson gained
swimmers in the world are all membership in the famed Montreal
fiends.” The swimmer without his AAA and had access to one of the
cigarette “would be like Ty Cobb best indoor swimming facilities in George Hodgson at the
with a .100 batting average.” Those the country. He rose to prominence Stockholm Olympics in
1912
were the days. Receiving his induction in 1911 when, as a 17-year-old, he
plaque from Ed Kennedy
in 1968 represented Canada at the “Festival of Empire” Games, a
Dorothy Poynton Hill - Honor Diver (USA) sporting celebration of the coronation of King George V and
A diving prodigy, Dorothy Queen Mary. Hodgson entered the mile race, even though
Poynton was already a famous he had never covered the distance previously. He won the
diver by the age of eight. race, in the process defeating the world-record holder,
Standing just 5’1 1/2” tall, the Britain’s Sid Battersby. The next year, he won the 400m and
tiny, beautiful and glamorous 1500m titles at the Stockholm Olympic Games. His Olympic
diver won Olympic medals record at 400m stood until
in diving in three Olympic 1924 when Johnny Weissmuller
Games, 1928, 1932 and 1936. broke it at Amsterdam. He was
Diving under her married Canada’s first and only Olympic
name as Dorothy Poynton Hill Champion in swimming until
at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, 1984, when the country won
she became a favorite of four: two by Alex Bauman and
documentarian Leni Reifensthal one each by Victor Davis and
and was featured in the classic Anne Ottenbrite.
Dorothy, at the 1928 Olympics
with USOC President General film Olympia. After retiring she Left: George Hodgson hand and
Douglas McArthur, tiny, became a celebrity appearing in footprints with Jam Handy at his 1968
beautiful and glamorous. many TV and print commercials, induction

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