Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Ethelda Marguerite Bleibtrey | ||||||||||||||||||||
National team | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Waterford, New York, U.S. | 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
|
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]
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ethelda Marguerite Bleibtrey | ||||||||||||||||||||
National team | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Waterford, New York, U.S. | 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
|
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]