Description
Book SynopsisEvery four years the summer Olympic Games capture the world's attention. Over 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries gather to prove they are the best in their sports. From the first competition held in 1896 to the 2012 London Olympics, the games have hosted some of swimming's greatest victories and toughest defeats. Fans have witnessed Johnny Weissmuller win back-to-back Olympic gold medals before he found fame on the big screen as Tarzan; they have seen Dara Torres defy age to win three silver medals at the age of 41; and they will forever remember Michael Phelps capturing a record eight gold medals at the 2008 games. The Most Memorable Moments in Olympic Swimming relives the sport's greatest moments on its biggest stage. Through careful research and the personal recollections from the athletes themselves, John Lohn has brought together the key performances, top athletes, major controversies, and improbable victories of the games. Organized chronologically, the progression of s
Trade ReviewThis book, part of the Rowman & Littlefield Swimming Series, highlights 25 of the best moments in swimming history. The chronologically ordered moments included here were history-making, had a huge emotional impact, were totally thrilling, or transcended the sport in some way. The vignettes do not just list the facts, but tell the history of the moment under discussion and the sport itself. The book begins with Australian Fanny Durack's win in the 100 freestyle at the 1912 Stockholm games and concludes with 41-year-old American Dara Torres's three silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In between, the book features moments such as Mark Spitz's seven gold medals at the 1972 games in Munich, forced doping by the East German women's swimmers in the 1970's and 1980's, the American boycott of the 1980 summer games in Moscow, the gold medal 100 butterfly race by Anthony Nesty of Suriname at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and the U.S. men's 400 freestyle relay at the 2008 games in Beijing under the anchor leg by Jason Lezak. The book has six appendixes, a bibliography, and an index. This would be a welcome addition for a library looking for reference materials on swimming or sports; it will also appeal to a general audience. * American Reference Books Annual *
Table of ContentsChronology Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Welcome the Women Chapter 2: Before He Swung From Vines Chapter 3: The Dawn of Greatness Chapter 4: Meyer's Gold Mine Chapter 5: Seven For Spitz Chapter 6: Hello, and Goodbye Chapter 7: A Matter of Timing Chapter 8: Gulping Down Gold Chapter 9: USA All the Way Chapter 10: Brigitha Breaks Barrier Chapter 11: Political Pawns Chapter 12: Rowdy's Reaction Chapter 13: A Tie Game Chapter 14: The Best of Biondi Chapter 15: Nesty Nets Gold Chapter 16: The Dragon Slayer Chapter 17: A Tale of Redemption Chapter 18: Gold-Medal Guitar Chapter 19: Eric the Eel Chapter 20: A Tie Between Teammates Chapter 21: Race of the Century Chapter 22: An Illegal Kickstart Chapter 23: An Anchor's Way Chapter 24: A Half-Stroke For History Chapter 25: Age is Just a Number Chapter 26: Under Consideration Appendix A: The Olympic Games (Dates/Sites) Appendix B: Most Overall Medals (By Country) Appendix C: Most Gold Medals (Career) Appendix D: Most Medals (Career) Appendix E: Most Gold Medals (Olympiad) Appendix F: Most Medals (Olympiad) Bibliography Index About the Author
