Chester Andrew Jastremski (January 12, 1941 – May 3, 2014) 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 ...
, Olympic medalist and world record-holder.
Jastremski attended
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
* Indiana Univers ...
in Bloomington, Indiana, where he swam for
Doc Counsilman
James Edward "Doc" Counsilman (December 28, 1920 – January 4, 2004)
P ...
's
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Ath ...
swimming and diving team. He and Counsilman invented the "whip kick" to replace the
frog kick, previously used in the
breaststroke
Breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on their chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to the swimmer's head being out of the water a large portion of the time, and that it can b ...
. The whip kick minimized drag and accentuated Jastremski's very powerful shoulders and upper arms. Over the years, the original whip kick (done from the knee to feet) morphed into the breaststroke kick that uses the entire leg. He was featured on the January 29, 1962 cover of ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice ...
''.
At the
1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Jastremski represented the United States. He won the bronze medal in the
men's 200-meter breaststroke, finishing with a third-place time of 2:29.6. He again qualified for the U.S. team for the
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...
in Mexico City, and swam for the winning American team in the preliminary heats of the
men's 4×100-meter medley relay. He was inducted into the
International Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the st ...
in 1977, and the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
Jastremski received his medical degree from
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
* Indiana Univers ...
in 1968, where he was also a member of
Sigma Nu Fraternity. He was a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic medical team. He served as a family practice physician for 35 years before
rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects synovial joint, joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and ...
led him to retire. He practiced medicine in Bloomington, Indiana, and frequently visited the Indiana University swim team throughout the years.
In 2007, he was inducted into the
National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. He died on May 3, 2014, aged 73, in Bloomington, after battling cancer, arthritis, and
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
.
College swimming: Jastremski dies at 73
''South Bend Tribune'' (May 6, 2014). Retrieved May 10, 2014.
See also
* List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
* List of Indiana University (Bloomington) people
* List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
This is the complete list of men's Olympic medalists in swimming.
Men's events 50 metre freestyle
100 metre freestyle
200 metre freestyle
400 metre freestyle
800 metre freestyle
1500 metre freestyle
100 metre backstroke
200 metre ...
* World record progression 100 metres breaststroke
* World record progression 200 metres breaststroke
* World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay
This article includes the world record progression for the 4×100 metres medley relay, and it shows the chronological history of world record times in that competitive swimming event. The 4×100 metres medley relay is a medley race in which each o ...
References
External links
*
*
*
www.toledoblade.com
''Sports Illustrated''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jastremski, Chet
1941 births
2014 deaths
American male breaststroke swimmers
American male medley swimmers
American people of Polish descent
Physicians from Indiana
Deaths from cancer in Indiana
Neurological disease deaths in Indiana
Deaths from arthritis
Deaths from Parkinson's disease
World record setters in swimming
Indiana Hoosiers men's swimmers
Indiana University School of Medicine alumni
Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Sportspeople from Toledo, Ohio
Swimmers at the 1963 Pan American Games
Swimmers at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Pan American Games medalists in swimming
Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games
20th-century American people
21st-century American people