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Ethelda Bleibtrey
Bleibtrey at 1920 Olympics
Personal information
Full nameEthelda Marguerite Bleibtrey
National teamUnited States
Born(1902-02-27)February 27, 1902
Waterford, New York, U.S.
DiedMay 6, 1978(1978-05-06) (aged 76)
West Palm Beach, Florida
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle
ClubWomen's Swimming Association
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing the   United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp 100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp 300 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp 4 × 100 m freestyle relay

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. [1]

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. [2] 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. [2] [3] The American relay team set a new world record of 5:11.6 in the event final. [2] 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). [4] [5]

She was born in Waterford, New York, [2] to John and Maggie Bleibtrey. [6] She started swimming to help recover from polio, which she contracted in 1917. [7] 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. [8]

Bleibtrey was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1967. [9] She died in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1978. [2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ethelda Bleibtrey". Olympedia. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Ethelda Bleibtrey. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  3. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, United States Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  4. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games, Women's 100 metres Freestyle Final. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  5. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games, Women's 300 metres Freestyle Final. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  6. ^ 1910 United States Federal Census
  7. ^ Shinn, Peggy (2017-03-22). "Meet Ethelda Bleibtrey, America's First Female Swimming Gold Medalist". TeamUsa.org. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020.
  8. ^ " Ethelda Bleibtrey," Encyclopædia Britannica (2012). Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  9. ^ "Ethelda Bleibtrey (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. 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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ethelda Bleibtrey.


Records
Preceded by Women's 100-meter freestyle
world record-holder (long course)
August 23, 1920 – June 30, 1923 		Succeeded by


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