Al Vande Weghe

Albert Joseph Vande Weghe (July 28, 1916 – August 13, 2002) was an American competition swimmer and Olympic silver medalist.

Al Vande Weghe
Vande Weghe in 1938
Personal information
Full nameAlbert Joseph Vande Weghe
Nickname(s)"Al"
National team United States
Born(1916-07-28)July 28, 1916
New York, New York
DiedAugust 13, 2002(2002-08-13) (aged 86)
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke
ClubNewark Athletic Club
College teamPrinceton University

As a 20-year-old high school senior at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, he won the silver medal in the men's 100-meter backstroke.[1] Vande Weghe finished second behind fellow American Adolph Kiefer and recorded a time of 1:07.7.[1][2] Like Kiefer, Vande Weghe never achieved his full potential as a swimmer after his competition career was interrupted by military service during World War II.

He was known for being the first man to swim the 100-yard backstroke in under a minute, and for the competitive advantage he gained in the turn by inventing the flip turn.

After the Olympics, Vande Weghe attended Princeton University, where he swam for the Princeton Tigers swimming and diving team. He swam for four years without ever losing a college dual meet, and won the NCAA national championship in the 150-yard backstroke three consecutive years. He graduated from Princeton with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1940.

Vande Weghe was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1990.[3]

See also

References
  1. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Al Vande Weghe. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  2. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games, Men's 100 metres Backstroke Final. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  3. International Swimming Hall of Fame, Honorees, Albert Vande Weghe (USA) Archived 2012-06-03 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 29, 2013.


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