Ethelda Bleibtrey
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Ethelda Marguerite Bleibtrey | ||||||||||||||||||||
National team | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Waterford, New York | February 27, 1902||||||||||||||||||||
Died | May 6, 1978 West Palm Beach, Florida | (aged 76)||||||||||||||||||||
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] to John and Maggie Bleibtrey.[5] She started swimming to help recover from polio, which she contracted in 1917. [6] 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.[7]
Bleibtrey was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1967.[8] She died in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1978.[1]
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- 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
- ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ 1910 United States Federal Census
- ^ Shinn, Peggy (2017-03-22). "Meet Ethelda Bleibtrey, America's First Female Swimming Gold Medalist". TeamUsa.org.
- ^ "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
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ethelda Bleibtrey". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
- Ethelda Bleibtrey (USA) – Honor Swimmer profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame