Johnny Weissmuller

Page history last edited by ThomasD 2 years, 9 months ago

Coming to America

Johnny Weissmuller was born to Peter and Elisabeth Weissmuller on June 2, 1904 in Freidorf, part of the Kingdom of Hungary. He and his family immigrated to America in 1905 and soon after moved to Windber, Pennsylvania. As a child Johnny was very sickly and so his doctor advised he take up swimming in order to help him stay healthy. Some years later Johnny moved with his family to Chicago. It was here that he joined his first YMCA swim team in 1916 at the age of twelve. By moving to Chicago Johnny also received the opportunity of a lifetime; the chance to try out for the coaching expertise of William Bachrach, the swim coach of the Illinois Athletic Club. After seeing him perform in the water, Bachrach decided he would coach him. Johnny's choice to take this opportunity to train under Bachrach turned out to be the beginning of one of history's most decorated athletic careers.

Making History

Johnny's training began in 1920 when he was sixteen years old. Only one year later he tried out for the junior men's 100 yard freestyle. He lost this race but it turned out to be the only race throughout his entire career that he would ever lose. On August 6, 1921 Johnny competed at the National AAU Championships in the 50 yard freestyle and won. The very next month he set his first world record in the 100 yard freestyle tearing down Duke Kahanamoku's record. In 1924 Johnny competed in his first Olympic Games in Paris, France. He ended up winning three gold medals, one bronze medal, and setting two world records. He won the 100 meter freestyle in 59 seconds and the 400 meter freestyle in 5 minutes 4 seconds, besting the old Olympic record by 22 seconds. He also swam the final leg of the 800 freestyle realy where the U.S. also won gold. The single bronze medal he received came from the U.S. men's water polo team. In both 1926 and 1927 Johnny swam in the 3 mile Chicago Marathon. He won the race both times he swam it and in 1927 he also shattered the old race record by 1 minute 51 seconds. The summer Olympics were next held in 1928 in Amsterdam, Germany. By this time Johnny was already the most dominant force in the sport of swimming and won gold medals in both the 100 meter freestyle and the 800 freestyle relay. After the Amsterdam Olympics Johnny went to Japan to compete. In order to increase their odds of beating him, the Japanese planned to have the pool filled with extremely cold water. His coach heard about this scheme before hand and to get Johnny ready for the races he had him sit in a tub of ice water until he was used to the temperature. Johnny then went on to win all of his events at the competition. The Japanese were so impressed with his abilities that they even asked him to coach their Olympic team but Johnny did not take them up on the offer. After winning fifty-two U.S. National Championships, setting sixty-seven world records, and winning a total of five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal, Johnny retired from competitive swimming in 1929 with an undefeated record.

Competition	Results
National AAU Championships	1st Place 50 Yard Freestyle
Paris Olympics	3 Gold Medals (100 Meter Freestyle, 400 Meter Freestyle, 800 Freestyle Relay) 1 Bronze Medal (Water Polo)
Amsterdam Olympics	2 Gold Medals (100 Meter Freestyle, 800 Freestyle Relay)

The American Dream

During the 1920s America was experiencing it's all time high point since the country had began. It seemed as if everyone were living the good life with money, cars, clothes and libidos. Immigrants came to America in search of new lives in which they could become something greater; a movie star, a sports star, or simply a wealthy entrepreneur. America was a land of dreams during the 1920s and everyone wanted to be a part of it. Johnny Weissmuller was the epitome of the American dream. His family came here with nothing and through sheer hard work and the help of his coach William Bachrach Johnny became one of the most famous athletes in the world for his time. Today in America we look up to famous athletes, movie stars, and popular individuals. Everyone wants to be a part of the latest fashion trends, into the most popular music, and known by everyone around. This focus on popularity and materialism began in the 1920s. The success of the American economy gave way to an age of capitalism where being on top was the only place worth being. In the area of athletics this was not so bad however as America began to produce the best athletes in the world. Throughout the 1920s Johnny Weissmuller dominated the sport of swimming, just as America was becoming one of the greatest world powers. Today this tradition still stands. America is still the most powerful country on earth, it is still producing some of the worlds greatest athletes, and just as in the 1920s everyone desires to be on top of the world.