Helene Emma Madison (June 19, 1913 – November 27, 1970) was an American competition
swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.
Madison won three gold medals in freestyle event at the
1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming, along with
Romeo Neri
Romeo Neri (26 March 1903 – 23 September 1961) was an Italian gymnast. He won three gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming, along with Helene Madison of United States, the most successful athlete there. He previousl ...
of Italy, the most successful athlete at the 1932 Olympics: Swimming at the 1932 Summer Olympics - Women's 100 metre freestyle, women's 100-meter freestyle, Swimming at the 1932 Summer Olympics - Women's 400 metre freestyle, 400-meter freestyle, and Swimming at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay, 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
[ Helene Madison]
. Sports-Reference.com
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.
Personal life
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.
[Mildred Andrews,]
Madison, Helene (1914-1970)
" HistoryLink.com. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
Hall of fame
She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1966, and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1992.
See also
* 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 200 metres freestyle
* World record progression 400 metres freestyle
* World record progression 800 metres freestyle
* World record progression 1500 metres freestyle
* World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
References
External links
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1913 births
1970 deaths
American female freestyle swimmers
Deaths from cancer in Washington (state)
Deaths from esophageal cancer
World record setters in swimming
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming
Swimmers from Seattle
Swimmers at the 1932 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics
20th-century American women
20th-century American people
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