Eleanor A. Garatti (July 12, 1909 – September 9, 1998), later known by her married name Eleanor Saville, 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 gold medalist, and former world record-holder. Garatti represented the United States at the

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...

and

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held dur ...

in the 100-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. She won a silver and a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle, becoming the first woman to win two Olympic medals in the event. She was the only U.S. relay team member to compete at both 1928 and 1932 Olympics; on both occasions the U.S. relay team won the gold medal, breaking the world record in the process. In 1929, Garatti set one more world record, in the individual 100-meter freestyle, becoming the first woman to swim under 1:10.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes
Eleanor Garatti-Saville
Retrieved March 17, 2015. Garatti 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 ...

as an "honor swimmer" in 1992. She was also elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. An award in her name, the Eleanor Garatti-Saville Fund, was created through a bequest from Dora Hartford, Eleanor's sister, to provide stipends to Olympic hopefuls. Inaugural grants of $5,000 each were awarded to three aquatic athletes in 2010.

References

1909 births 1998 deaths American female freestyle swimmers World record setters in swimming Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming People from Belvedere, California Swimmers at the 1928 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1932 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1928 Summer Olympics 20th-century American women 20th-century American people {{US-swimming-Olympic-medalist-stub

See also

References