Greta Andersen

Greta Andersen was a Danish swimmer, born in Copenhagen on 1 May 1927, who won an Olympic gold medal in the 100 metre freestyle and a silver in the 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay at the 1948 London Games. After collapsing in the 400 metre freestyle there she recovered, set a 100 yard freestyle world record in 1949 that stood for seven years, and competed again at the 1952 Games while hampered by a knee operation. She moved to California in 1953, took American citizenship in 1959 and turned to marathon swimming, becoming the first person to swim a major channel in both directions in the Santa Catalina Channel in 1958 and crossing the English Channel six times between 1957 and 1965. She entered the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1969 and died on 6 February 2023.