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Helene Madison
Helene Emma Madison (June 19, 1913 – November 27, 1970) was an American swimmer. She was a 1932 Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter, 400-meter and 4x100-meter freestyle relay, and a former world record-holder.
Madison was born on June 9, 1913, in Madison, Wisconsin, though, as a child, her family relocated to Seattle. By age 12, she began swimming in Green Lake, one block from her home, and later participated in Seattle Parks Department swim programs. Recognized as a young talent by local Seattle area coach Ray Daughters in 1928, Madison started swimming competitively with Daughters at the Crystal Pool, and later at the Washington Athletic Club. She soon won the 1928 Northwest High School Championship in one of her first major victories as a competitive swimmer. Daughters would also later serve as the Head Coach for Madison's 1932 U.S. Women's Olympic swim team.
Madison's swimming achievements in freestyle swimming were unheralded and remain unique among women's freestyle competitors through the 1932 Olympics. In a sixteen-month period in 1930 and 1931, she broke sixteen world records in various distances. She held all the official world records in freestyle in 1932 from 50-yards to the mile, and held American national records in the 100m, 220yd, 500yd, and 800yd freestyles. Her American National Championship records held for many years, with the distance events lasting the longest. Her record in the 100-meter freestyle lasted 15 years, her 220-yard freestyle record lasted 6 years, her 500-yard freestyle record lasted 23 years and her 880-yard freestyle lasted 5 years. In sprint events, she was most easily remembered for swimming a 100-yard freestyle in one minute flat.
Madison won three gold medals in freestyle events at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming, along with Romeo Neri of Italy, the most successful athlete at the 1932 Olympics: women's 100-meter freestyle, 400-meter freestyle, and 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
In the 100-meter freestyle final, she swam a time of 1:06.8, and though she did poorly in a semi-final, she finished strong in the final and managed to edge out silver medalist Willy den Ouden of the Netherlands by 1 second.
In the 4x100 meter freestyle relay, Madison anchored the American team which was considerably faster than the competition and consisted of Josephine McKim, Helen Johns and Eleanor Garatti. As only five countries competed, there was no need for preliminary heats. The American team finished in a World Record time of 4:38, defeating the second place team from the Netherlands that finished 9 seconds later with a time of 4:47.5.
In the 400-meter freestyle, Madison was the standing world record holder, but the race was closer than expected. Madison swam a 5:28.5, though she had to edge out American silver medalist Lenore Kight, who finished only one-tenth of a second behind her. With the Americans dominant, South African Jenny Maakal, finished a full nineteen seconds behind second place American, Lenore Kight. The race was Madison's last of the Olympics, and the last of her swimming career.
Following the August, 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Madison was met in Seattle with a ticker-tape parade and a large reception. Only two weeks later, she swam in a paid exhibition and lost her amateur standing.
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Helene Madison
Helene Emma Madison (June 19, 1913 – November 27, 1970) was an American swimmer. She was a 1932 Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter, 400-meter and 4x100-meter freestyle relay, and a former world record-holder.
Madison was born on June 9, 1913, in Madison, Wisconsin, though, as a child, her family relocated to Seattle. By age 12, she began swimming in Green Lake, one block from her home, and later participated in Seattle Parks Department swim programs. Recognized as a young talent by local Seattle area coach Ray Daughters in 1928, Madison started swimming competitively with Daughters at the Crystal Pool, and later at the Washington Athletic Club. She soon won the 1928 Northwest High School Championship in one of her first major victories as a competitive swimmer. Daughters would also later serve as the Head Coach for Madison's 1932 U.S. Women's Olympic swim team.
Madison's swimming achievements in freestyle swimming were unheralded and remain unique among women's freestyle competitors through the 1932 Olympics. In a sixteen-month period in 1930 and 1931, she broke sixteen world records in various distances. She held all the official world records in freestyle in 1932 from 50-yards to the mile, and held American national records in the 100m, 220yd, 500yd, and 800yd freestyles. Her American National Championship records held for many years, with the distance events lasting the longest. Her record in the 100-meter freestyle lasted 15 years, her 220-yard freestyle record lasted 6 years, her 500-yard freestyle record lasted 23 years and her 880-yard freestyle lasted 5 years. In sprint events, she was most easily remembered for swimming a 100-yard freestyle in one minute flat.
Madison won three gold medals in freestyle events at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming, along with Romeo Neri of Italy, the most successful athlete at the 1932 Olympics: women's 100-meter freestyle, 400-meter freestyle, and 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
In the 100-meter freestyle final, she swam a time of 1:06.8, and though she did poorly in a semi-final, she finished strong in the final and managed to edge out silver medalist Willy den Ouden of the Netherlands by 1 second.
In the 4x100 meter freestyle relay, Madison anchored the American team which was considerably faster than the competition and consisted of Josephine McKim, Helen Johns and Eleanor Garatti. As only five countries competed, there was no need for preliminary heats. The American team finished in a World Record time of 4:38, defeating the second place team from the Netherlands that finished 9 seconds later with a time of 4:47.5.
In the 400-meter freestyle, Madison was the standing world record holder, but the race was closer than expected. Madison swam a 5:28.5, though she had to edge out American silver medalist Lenore Kight, who finished only one-tenth of a second behind her. With the Americans dominant, South African Jenny Maakal, finished a full nineteen seconds behind second place American, Lenore Kight. The race was Madison's last of the Olympics, and the last of her swimming career.
Following the August, 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Madison was met in Seattle with a ticker-tape parade and a large reception. Only two weeks later, she swam in a paid exhibition and lost her amateur standing.