Ronald Francis Gora (July 10, 1933 – March 11, 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 ...

and

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

champion. Gora was born in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and attended

Lane Tech High School Lane Tech College Prep High School (often shortened to Lane Tech, full name Albert Grannis Lane Technical College Preparatory High School), is a public four-year selective enrollment magnet high school located in the Roscoe Village neighborhoo ...

in Chicago. He remains tied with

Tom Jager Thomas Michael Jager (born October 6, 1964) is an American former competition swimmer. He is five-time Olympic gold medalist in relay events, a two-time World Championship individual gold medalist for the 50-meter freestyle, and a former world ...

and Brian Alden for the second most individual high school state championships won by a male in Illinois. Gora won a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay event at the

1951 Pan American Games The 1951 Pan American Games, officially known as I Pan American Games () and commonly known as Buenos Aires 1951, were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina between February 25 and March 9, 1951. The Pan American Games' origins were at the Games of the ...

in Buenos Aires, Argentina, alongside

Dick Cleveland Richard Fitch Cleveland (September 21, 1929 – July 27, 2002) was a Hawaiian-born American competition Hall of Fame swimmer, three-time Pan American Games champion, and former world record-holder in the 100 meters and 100 yard events. He attend ...

Burwell Jones Burwell Otis Jones (March 23, 1933 – February 6, 2021) was a physician specializing in dermatology, and a former American competition swimmer. He was an All-American for the University of Michigan, and represented the U.S. in the 1952 Olympic ...

and Bill Heusner. Individually, he also received a Pan American Games silver medal for his second-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle. Gora again represented the United States at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. After Japan declared in ...

in Helsinki, Finland, where he finished eighth in the final of the men's 100-meter freestyle with a time of 58.8 seconds. He attended the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, and swam for the

Michigan Wolverines swimming and diving The Michigan Wolverines swimming and diving teams represent the University of Michigan in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I Swimming and Diving Championships. The men's and women's teams, which had be ...

team in

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) competition from 1952 to 1954. He was a member of Michigan's NCAA national championship teams in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 1953 and 1954.MGoBlue.com, Men's Swimming & Diving
Michigan Men's Swimming and Diving All-Time NCAA Champions
Retrieved February 18, 2013.HickokSports.com, Sports History
NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Champions
. Retrieved February 18, 2013. Gora had four sisters. On November 16, 1963, he married Maria Käppeler, they had one daughter and two sons. Gora had 2 daughters and 2 son's from a previous marriage.

References

1933 births 2014 deaths American male freestyle swimmers Michigan Wolverines men's swimmers Swimmers from Chicago Swimmers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Olympic swimmers for the United States Swimmers at the 1951 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1951 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in swimming Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in swimming 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen {{US-swimming-bio-stub

See also

References