Sandy Neilson

Sandra Lynn Neilson, born on 20 March 1956 and also known by her married name Sandy Bell, is an American former competition swimmer, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a former world record-holder. At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich she was only 16 and ranked third best among American swimmers, yet she won the 100 metre freestyle in an Olympic record 58.59 seconds ahead of the favourites Shane Gould and Shirley Babashoff. That victory earned her places on the 4x100 metre freestyle and 4x100 metre medley relays, and both teams won gold in world record times. She swam for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, was a three-time All-American and won the AIAW 50 and 100 yard freestyle titles in 1977. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1986 and kept racing into her forties, and USA Swimming named its comeback award after her.