Kaye Hall

Kaye Hall

Personal information
Full name	Kaye Marie Hall
National team	United States
Born	(1951-05-15) May 15, 1951 Tacoma, Washington
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight	143 lb (65 kg)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke
Club	Tacoma Swim Club
Medal record Women's swimming Competitor for the United States Olympic Games 1968 Mexico City 100 m backstroke 1968 Mexico City 4x100 m medley 1968 Mexico City 200 m backstroke Pan American Games 1967 Winnipeg 100 m backstroke Summer Universiade 1970 Turin 100 m backstroke 1970 Turin 4x100 m freestyle 1970 Turin 4x100 m medley

Kaye Marie Hall (born May 15, 1951), later known by her married name Kaye Greff, is an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two events.

Hall was born in Tacoma, Washington,^[1] and attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Tacoma. She trained with the Tacoma Swim Club with coach Dick Hannula. Hall made her international debut at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, where she won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke behind Canadian gold medalist Elaine Tanner. In December 1967, she became the first woman to swim the 100-yard backstroke in under one minute.^[2]

As a 17-year-old, she won two gold medals and a bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.^[1] She won her first gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in women's 4×100-meter medley relay. Swimming the lead-off backstroke leg of the relay, she set a new Olympic record of 4:28.3 with American teammmates Catie Ball (breaststroke), Ellie Daniel (butterfly), and Susan Pedersen (freestyle).^[3] She won a second gold in individual competition, in the women's 100-meter backstroke, recording a new world record (1:06.2) and besting Canadian Elaine Tanner by half a second (1:06.7).^[4] She added a bronze medal for her third-place finish in the women's 200-meter backstroke, finishing behind fellow American Pokey Watson (2:24.8) and Canadian Elaine Tanner (2:27.40).^[5]

After the Olympics, she attended the University of Puget Sound and continued to swim for the Tacoma Swim Club with Dick Hannula. At the 1970 World University Games in Turin, Italy, she won three golds in the 100-meter backstroke and the 4×100-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter medley relays. She retired from competitive swimming in 1970.^[2]

Hall was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1979.^[2] She is also a member of the Puget Sound University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Washington State Sports Hall of Fame.

She now works as an art teacher in Mukilteo, Washington, a suburb of Seattle.

See also

• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• World record progression 100 metres backstroke
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay

References

External links

• Kaye Hall (USA) – Honor Swimmer profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame

1968 USA Olympic swimming team Men's Team Larry Barbiere Brent Berk Greg Buckingham Mike Burton John Ferris Gary Hall Charlie Hickcox Jack Horsley Mitch Ivey Chet Jastremski Brian Job David Johnson William Johnson John Kinsella Philip Long Don McKenzie Ken Merten Ronnie Mills John Nelson David Perkowski Stephen Rerych Carl Robie Doug Russell Don Schollander Andy Strenk Mark Spitz Ross Wales Michael Wall Ken Walsh Zac Zorn Women's Team Susie Atwood Catie Ball Jane Barkman Patty Caretto Ellie Daniel Diane Giebel Linda Gustavson Kaye Hall Jan Henne Toni Hewitt Cathy Jamison Suzy Jones Claudia Kolb Pam Kruse Kendis Moore Debbie Meyer Susan Pedersen Susan Pitt Susan Shields Jane Swagerty Lynn Vidali Lillian Watson Sharon Wichman Staff Sherman Chavoor (women's head coach) Frank Elm (assistant) Don Gambril (assistant) George Haines (men's head coach) Bill Lippman, Jr. (manager) Olive Mucha (assistant) Edwin Olson (assistant) Kenneth Treadway (manager)