Contents

Ethelda Bleibtrey

American swimmer

Ethelda Bleibtrey

Bleibtrey at 1920 Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Ethelda Marguerite Bleibtrey
National team	United States
Born	(1902-02-27)February 27, 1902 Waterford, New York, U.S.
Died	May 6, 1978(1978-05-06) (aged 76) West Palm Beach, Florida
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	Women's Swimming Association
Medal record Women's swimming Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1920 Antwerp 100 m freestyle 1920 Antwerp 300 m freestyle 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[edit]

• 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[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• 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[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ethelda Bleibtrey.

• 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 at the Wayback Machine (archived 2015-04-02)