Helene Emma Madison (June 19, 1913 – November 27, 1970) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.[1]
Madison (left) with Johnny Weissmuller at 1932 Olympics
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Helene Emma Madison | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1913-06-19)June 19, 1913 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | November 27, 1970(1970-11-27) (aged 57) Seattle, Washington, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Washington Athletic Club | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Madison won three gold medals in freestyle event 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.[2]
In sixteen months in 1930 and 1931, she broke sixteen world records in various distances. Following the 1932 Olympics she appeared in the films The Human Fish and The Warrior's Husband and hence, as a professional, was not allowed to participate in the 1936 Summer OlympicsinBerlin. After her swimming career, she had odd jobs as a swimming instructor, department store clerk and a nurse.
Madison had one child, Helene Madison Ware, who at one time lived in Marysville, Washington. Divorced three times and living alone, she died of throat cancer in 1970 in Seattle, Washington.[3]
She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1966, and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1992.[4]
The Helene Madison Pool, built in 1970 in the Bitter Lake neighborhood of North Seattle, is dedicated to her memory.
(archive)
| Records | ||
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| Preceded by | Women's 100-meter freestyle world record-holder (long course) 14 March 1930 – 9 July 1933 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 200 metre freestyle world record holder (long course) 6 March 1930 – 3 May 1933 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 400 metre freestyle world record holder (long course) 13 February 1931 – 12 July 1934 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 800-meter freestyle world record-holder (long course) 6 July 1930 – 23 July 1931 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 1,500-meter freestyle world record-holder (long course) 15 July 1931 – 26 June 1936 |
Succeeded by |
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