sport.wikisort.org - Athlete

Greta Marie Andersen (married names Sonnichsen and Veress, born 1 May 1927) is a Danish retired swimmer who won a gold and a silver medal in 100 m freestyle events at the 1948 Summer Olympics. In the mid-1950s she moved to the United States, where she set several world records in marathon swimming in the distances up to 50 miles.[1]

Greta Andersen

Andersen in 1951
Personal information
Full name	Greta Marie Andersen
Born	1 May 1927 (1927-05) (age 95) Copenhagen, Denmark
Height	5 ft 8.5 in (1.740 m)
Weight	141 lb (64 kg)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Club	Svømmeklubben Triton, Ballerup (1943–1946) DKG, København (1946-1950s)
Coach	Else Jacobsen, Ingeborg Paul Petersen
Medal record Representing  Denmark Olympic Games 1948 London 100 m freestyle 1948 London 4×100 m freestyle European Championships 1947 Monte Carlo 4×100 m freestyle 1947 Monte Carlo 100 m freestyle 1950 Vienna 400 m freestyle 1950 Vienna 4×100 m freestyle 1950 Vienna 100 m freestyle

Early and personal life

Andersen was born in Copenhagen to Mourits Peter Andersen and Charlotte Emerentze Benedikte Nielsen.[2]

Career

Andersen began swimming in a club aged 16 while also doing gymnastics. In 1947, she won two European medals at her first international competition. Next year she won two more medals at the London Olympics, a gold in the 100m freestyle and a silver in the 4 × 100m freestyle relay. She failed to finish her 400m freestyle race due to sudden stomach cramps – she fainted and was rescued from drowning by fellow competitors Nancy Lees and Elemér Szathmáry. According to her recollections, an injection her coach gave her to delay her period caused her legs to be paralyzed and for her to subsequently faint.[3] In 1949 Andersen set a world record in the 100 yard freestyle at 58.2 s, which stood for seven years. She took part in three events at the 1952 Olympics, but could not use one leg due to a recent knee surgery,[4] and failed to medal. Her best result at those Games was a fourth place in the 4 × 100m freestyle relay. During her career in Europe, she won nine individual Danish titles, several team titles, and four individual Scandinavian titles.[1]

In the mid-1950s she immigrated to Long Beach, California, and later obtained US citizenship. There she switched to marathon swimming and became the first person to swim a major channel both ways (Santa Catalina Channel in 1958). She also set world records in the 10, 25 and 50 miles. Between 1957 and 1965 she crossed the English Channel six times, setting a record for most Channel swims by a woman, as well as a speed record for women at 10:59 h in 1958. She also set an unofficial record for the longest Channel swim, while trying for 23 h to cross the Channel forth and back in 1964.[1][4]

In 1957 Andersen married John Sonnichsen, with whom she opened a swimming school in Los Alamitos in 1960.[5] In 1969 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.[4]

See also

• List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame

References

External links

• Greta Andersen at International Swimming Hall of Fame
• Greta Andersen at Olympics.com
• Greta Andersen at Olympedia

На других языках

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[de] Greta Andersen

Greta Marie Andersen (* 1. Mai 1927 in Kopenhagen, Dänemark) ist eine ehemalige dänische Schwimmerin und Olympiasiegerin.

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- [en] Greta Andersen

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[it] Greta Andersen

Greta Marie Andersen (Copenaghen, 1º maggio 1927) è un'ex nuotatrice danese naturalizzata statunitense, campionessa olimpica nei 100 m stile libero nel 1948, che si poi è distinta per diverse traversate in mare aperto su lunghe distanze.

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[ru] Андерсен, Грета

Грета Мари Андерсен (дат. Greta Marie Andersen; род. 1 мая 1927, Копенгаген) — датская пловчиха, чемпионка и серебряный призёр летних Олимпийских игр 1948 года, двукратная чемпионка Европы[1][2].

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