Gertrude Ederle
American swimmer Olympic gold medalist
Born
October 23rd, 1905
119 years ago
Died
November 30th, 2003
21 years ago — 98 years old
Category
Athletes & Sports Figures
Country
United States
Links & References
First woman to swim across the English Channel in 1926. Participated in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, winning a gold medal in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the 100 meter freestyle. Ederle's record time for the English Channel crossing remained unbroken for nearly 100 years. She became a national celebrity following her achievements, contributing to the rising popularity of women's swimming in the United States.
First woman to swim across the English Channel
Gold medalist in 4x100 meter freestyle relay at the 1924 Olympics
Bronze medalist in 100 meter freestyle at the 1924 Olympics
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