1. Martha Maria Norelius was a Swedish-born American competition swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder in five different freestyle swimming events.
10 Facts About Martha Norelius
1. 2.
Martha Norelius's father was Swedish Olympic swimmer Charles Norelius, who was her swimming coach.
3.
Martha Norelius was first recognized for her swimming and diving skills just after her seventh birthday, at an exhibition at the Greenbrier pool, where her father was a swimming instructor.
4.
Martha Norelius too had been an Olympic swimmer for Sweden and at the Summer Olympics 1912 in Stockholm offered a position in Florida to train the American swimming team.
5.
Daughter Martha became very good friends with top swimmer Johnny Weissmuller trained by Marthas father Charles.
6.
Martha Norelius won the gold medal in the women's 400-meter freestyle in 1924, setting a new Olympic record, and edging fellow Americans Helen Wainwright and Gertrude Ederle.
7.
Between 1925 and 1929, Martha Norelius won eleven individual Amateur Athletic Union titles and set at least 19 world and 30 American records.
8.
Martha Norelius remains the only woman to have received two Olympic back-to-back gold medals in the 400-meter freestyle.
9.
Martha Norelius died in 1955, only 46 years old, following gall bladder surgery and was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery.
10.
Martha Norelius was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "honor swimmer" in 1967.