Helene Madison

Helene Emma Madison (June 19, 1913 – November 27, 1970) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.[1]

Helene Madison
Madison (left) with Johnny Weissmuller at 1932 Olympics
Personal information
Full nameHelene Emma Madison
National team United States
Born(1913-06-19)June 19, 1913
Madison, Wisconsin
DiedNovember 27, 1970(1970-11-27) (aged 57)
Seattle, Washington
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubWashington Athletic Club

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 Olympics in Berlin. 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]

See also

References
  1. Stein, Alan (2014-02-17). "Freestyle swimmer Helene Madison wins first of three gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics on August 8, 1932". HistoryLink.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
  2. Helene Madison Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine. Sports-Reference.com
  3. International Swimming Hall of Fame, Honorees, Helene Madison (USA). Retrieved April 7, 2015.


Records
Preceded by
Albina Osipowich		 Women's 100-meter freestyle
world record-holder (long course)
14 March 1930 – 9 July 1933		 Succeeded by
Willy den Ouden
Preceded by
Martha Norelius		 Women's 200 metre freestyle
world record holder (long course)
6 March 1930 – 3 May 1933		 Succeeded by
Willy den Ouden
Preceded by
Martha Norelius		 Women's 400 metre freestyle
world record holder (long course)
13 February 1931 – 12 July 1934		 Succeeded by
Willy den Ouden
Preceded by
Josephine McKim		 Women's 800-meter freestyle
world record-holder (long course)
6 July 1930 – 23 July 1931		 Succeeded by
Yvonne Godard
Preceded by
Martha Norelius		 Women's 1,500-meter freestyle
world record-holder (long course)
15 July 1931 – 26 June 1936		 Succeeded by
Grete Frederiksen



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