Helene Madison

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Olympic medal record
Women’s Swimming
Competitor for Flag of the United States United States
Gold 1932 Los Angeles 100m Freestyle
Gold 1932 Los Angeles 400m Freestyle
Gold 1932 Los Angeles 4x100m Freestyle

Helene Madison (June 19, 1913November 27, 1970) was an American swimmer. She won three gold medals in freestyle at the 1932 Summer Olympic Games. She was born in Madison, Wisconsin.

In sixteen months in 1930 and 1931, she broke sixteen world records in various distances. Following the 1932 Olympics she appeared in the films The Human Fish and The Warrior's Husband and hence, as a professional, was not allowed to participate in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. After her swimming career, she did odd jobs as a swimming instructor, department store clerk and a nurse. Divorced thrice and living alone, she died of cancer in 1970 in Seattle, Washington.

She was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 1992.

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Records
Preceded by
Flag of the United States Martha Norelius
Women's 1500 metres Freestyle
World Record Holder (Long Course)

July 15, 1931June 26, 1936
Succeeded by
Flag of Denmark Grethe Frederiksen