Carolyn Wood (swimmer)

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Medal record
Competitor for Flag of the United States United States
Women's Swimming
Olympic Games
Gold Rome 1960 4x100m freestyle relay

Carolyn Wood (born December 18, 1945) is a former competitive freestyle and butterfly swimmer from the United States who won a gold medal the 4x100m freestyle relay in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. At the time of the Olympics, Wood was 14 and the youngest member of the 1960 United States Olympic team.[1]

Contents

[edit] Olympics

Wood swam for the Multnomah Athletic Club swim team in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. At the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in 1960, she finished first in the 100 meter butterfly event and was favored to win the gold medal in that event at the Olympics. However, during the Olympic finals, she accidentally swallowed water during the turn and did not finish the race.[2][3]

Four days later, she swam the third leg of the 4 x 100 meter relay, during which she caught up to and passed Australian swimmer Lorraine Crapp and gave a two-foot lead to anchor swimmer Chris von Saltza, who finished the relay in first place to give the American team the gold medal, setting a new world record of 4:08.9, nine seconds faster than the previous record.[4]

[edit] After the Olympics

Wood returned to her hometown of Portland, Oregon following the Olympics where she attended Beaverton High School. During one summer, she worked as a lifeguard and was ruled a professional, and was therefore ineligible to swim collegiately or in subsequent Olympics.[1][5] Wood attended the University of Oregon and became a high school English teacher in Portland.[5] She was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.[5][6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Cluff, Carl. "Oregon's Olympians Look Back", The Oregonian, September 16, 1988. 
  2. ^ Carolyn Schuler. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
  3. ^ Danzig, Allison. "Collegian Victor in Breast-Stroke", New York Times, August 31, 1960. Retrieved on 2008-02-13. 
  4. ^ "U.s. Women Break Swim Relay Mark", New York Times, September 4, 1960. Retrieved on 2008-02-13. 
  5. ^ a b c Schneidermann, Floyd. ""Giant Killers" Highlight of Oregon Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies", August 2, 1992. 
  6. ^ Inductees: Swimming & Diving. Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.

[edit] External links

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