I read Jenny Thompson conparing herself to other famous swimmers and track people. She forgot to include Shirley Babashoff, another swimmer who won 8 medals in two olympics, Probably to many swimmers today Babashoff and most swimmers prior to 1980 are not known to them. I guess that most of the 1950's swimmers and some of the early 1960's swimmers are not known to me either. But she did mention Mary T Meagher and Tracey Caulkins that came in the generation after Shirley. Oh,well. Maybe, many of us in masters might look up information on the olympics in swimming prior to 1968. And the master swimmers that are younger need to learn about those those olympic swimmers prior to 1984.
Parents
Former Member
I know that Shirley Babashoff got silver in 100 free in 1972 Olympics and silvers in 200 free in 1972 Olympics and in 1976 Olympics.
She, and others, are not forgotten:
I see them constantly in swimming data, since I started to learn swimming in 1984, and competing in 1986.
I wonder how today's many people, and me, would compare athletically with the best athletes from a past era.
Thus I discovered, that way before the fast 1940s, *** Cavill (Aus) and Freddy Lane (Aus) broke one minute in 100 yards, in 1902, with a style still not perfectly refined.
In 1907, Charles Daniels (US), in a today's freestyle with a 6-beat kick, swam 100 yards in 55.4.
His best 100 yards free, was in 1910 at 54.8.
In 1908 in the Olympic Games, he swam a 100 meters, in 1:05.6, good for gold.
His best 100 meter free, was in 1910 at 1:02.8.
Looking at pictures of Daniels, 6'3", 190 pounds, at pictures of Cecil Healy (Aus/NZL) who swam 1:04.6 in 1912 Olympics, at pictures from 1904 of Goodwin (US), Ruddy (US), Handley (US), and at pictures of 6'1/2" Kahanamoku (US) from 1912, I think they would easily fit in a today's environment for top world swimming.
So much for thinking that all people from past eras were weaklings compared with today's people:
they, even when not removed from their past environment but more so if transplanted in a today's environment, would kick many of today's people rears.
I know that Shirley Babashoff got silver in 100 free in 1972 Olympics and silvers in 200 free in 1972 Olympics and in 1976 Olympics.
She, and others, are not forgotten:
I see them constantly in swimming data, since I started to learn swimming in 1984, and competing in 1986.
I wonder how today's many people, and me, would compare athletically with the best athletes from a past era.
Thus I discovered, that way before the fast 1940s, *** Cavill (Aus) and Freddy Lane (Aus) broke one minute in 100 yards, in 1902, with a style still not perfectly refined.
In 1907, Charles Daniels (US), in a today's freestyle with a 6-beat kick, swam 100 yards in 55.4.
His best 100 yards free, was in 1910 at 54.8.
In 1908 in the Olympic Games, he swam a 100 meters, in 1:05.6, good for gold.
His best 100 meter free, was in 1910 at 1:02.8.
Looking at pictures of Daniels, 6'3", 190 pounds, at pictures of Cecil Healy (Aus/NZL) who swam 1:04.6 in 1912 Olympics, at pictures from 1904 of Goodwin (US), Ruddy (US), Handley (US), and at pictures of 6'1/2" Kahanamoku (US) from 1912, I think they would easily fit in a today's environment for top world swimming.
So much for thinking that all people from past eras were weaklings compared with today's people:
they, even when not removed from their past environment but more so if transplanted in a today's environment, would kick many of today's people rears.
