Albina Osipowich

Albina Osipowich, later known by her married name Albina Van Aken, was an American competition swimmer born on February 26, 1911 in Worcester, Massachusetts, who died on June 6, 1964. Swimming for Pembroke Women's College, now part of Brown University, she became an Olympic champion at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, winning gold in the women's 100 metre freestyle and as part of the United States 4 by 100 metre freestyle relay, setting a world record in each event. She held the 100 metre freestyle world record in 1929. After her freshman year at Pembroke she withdrew from national meets, though she continued to swim regionally and later captained the college women's team.