William Thomas Kirschbaum (November 5, 1902 – April 29, 1953) was an American competition

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

and 1924 Paris Olympic medalist in the 200-meter breaststroke. Kirschbaum was born in Maine on November 15, 1902, but was raised in Hawaii where he swam for the Hui Makani Swim Club. He lived in California in later life. At the Hawaiian Olympic swimming meet in Honolulu, swimming for the Hui Makani team on April 13, 1924, Kirschbaum broke his own record in the 200-meter breast stroke with a time of 3:02.1, breaking the standing American record, and qualifying for the U.S. Olympic trials.Jay, Mike, "Two World Swim Records Broken During Week-End", ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'', Honolulu, Hawaii, 14 April 1924, pg. 22 Kirschbaum set another record in Palo Alto at a "Far Western" Try out at Searsville, Lake, the training location for Stanford University. The official American olympic trial location for the men's swimming team was in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Honors

1924 Olympic Bronze medal

At the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...

in Paris, he received the bronze medal for his third-place performance in the men's 200-meter breaststroke event, finishing in a time of 3:01.0, and finishing only about a second behind silver medalist Joseph de Combe of Belgium. American Gold medalist Bob Skelton won the event in a time of 2:56.6, but had set an Olympic record in the first heat. His final time was six seconds short of the standing world record. After an illness of around two months, Kirschbaum died at his home on Cambridge Road in Belmont, California, three miles South of San Mateo, on April 29, 1953. He had been working as a buyer for Matson Navigation Lines. He was survived by his widow Adele, and two children. A memorial service was held on Saturday, May 2 at the White Oaks Chapel in San Carlos."Obituaries, William T. Kirschbaum", ''Redwood City Tribune'', Redwood City, California, 30 April 1953, pg. 8

References

External links

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Olympedia, 1924 Paris Olympics, 200-meter Men's breast stroke, Results
1902 births 1953 deaths American male breaststroke swimmers Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming Swimmers at the 1924 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1924 Summer Olympics 20th-century American sportsmen Swimmers from Hawaii {{US-swimming-Olympic-medalist-stub

Honors

1924 Olympic Bronze medal

See also

References

External links