Ethelda Bleibtrey
 Bleibtrey at 1920 Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ethelda Marguerite Bleibtrey | ||||||||||||||||||
| National team |
 United States | ||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
February 27, 1902 Waterford, New York | ||||||||||||||||||
| Died |
May 6, 1978 (aged 76) West Palm Beach, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Women's Swimming Association | ||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ethelda Marguerite Bleibtrey (February 27, 1902 – May 6, 1978), also known by her married name Ethelda Schlatke, was an American competition swimmer, three-time Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder in multiple events.
Bleibtrey was a dominant backstroke swimmer, but entered and won gold medals in three freestyle events when there were no women's backstroke events at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.[1] She won a gold medal as member of the winning U.S. team in the women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay, together with teammates Margaret Woodbridge, Frances Schroth and Irene Guest.[1][2] The American relay team set a new world record of 5:11.6 in the event final.[1] Individually, Bleibtrey also received gold medals and set world records in the women's 100-meter freestyle (1:13.6) and the women's 300-meter freestyle (4:34.0).[3][4]
She was born in Waterford, New York.[1] She started swimming to help recover from polio, which she contracted in 1917. In 1919, she was arrested for "nude swimming" — she removed her stockings at a pool where it was forbidden to bare "the lower female extremities for public bathing." The subsequent public support for Bleibtrey led to the abandonment of stockings as a conventional element in women's swimwear.[5]
Bleibtrey was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1967.[6] She died in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1978.[1]
See also
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- World record progression 100 metres freestyle
- World record progression 400 metres freestyle
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Ethelda Bleibtrey. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
- ↑ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, United States Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
- ↑ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games, Women's 100 metres Freestyle Final. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
- ↑ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games, Women's 300 metres Freestyle Final. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
- ↑ "Ethelda Bleibtrey," Encyclopædia Britannica (2012). Retrieved November 30, 2012.
- ↑ International Swimming Hall of Fame, Honorees, Ethelda Bleibtrey (USA). Retrieved November 30, 2012.
Bibliography
- Floyd Conner, The Olympic's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Gold Medal Gaffes, Improbable Triumphs, and Other Oddities, Brassey's (2002). ISBN 1-57488-413-1.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ethelda Bleibtrey. |
- Ethelda Bleibtrey – Olympic athlete profile at Sports-Reference.com
- Ethelda Bleibtrey (USA) – Honor Swimmer profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Fanny Durack |
Women's 100-meter freestyle world record-holder (long course) August 23, 1920 – June 30, 1923 |
Succeeded by Gertrude Ederle |
| Men's Team |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Team | ||
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