Johnny Weissmuller

You can probably name the greatest swimmers of the 2020's, but do you know the amazing story of The greatest Swimmer of the 1920's? Johnny Weissmüller was America’s first great swimming champion. He never lost a race in ten years of swimming.

Young John Weissmüller contracted polio when he was 9 years old. Following the advice of his doctor, he took up swimming to help battle the disease. Later he earned a spot on the YMCA swim team and then the Illinois athletic club. Weissmüller set his first two world records in September of 1921, competed in the 1924 and 1928 Olympics and became the most successful swimmer of his time. In all, Weissmüllerwon five Olympic gold medals in swimming and one bronze medal in water polo. he won fifty-two United States national championships and set sixty-seven world records. He was the first man to swim the 100-meter freestyle in under one minute, never lost a race and retired with an unbeaten amateur record. In 1929, Weissmuller signed a contract to be a model and representative doing swim shows and promotions for swim wear and had his first motion picture appearance. His Hollywood career started in 1932 when Weissmüller signed a contract with Mgm to play the role of Tarzan in Tarzan the Ape Man (1932). Weissmüller became an overnight international sensation and he starred in six Tarzan movies for MGM with actress Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane. After his initial 7 year contract ended, he did even more Tarzan movies and appeared in over 30 Hollywood films from 1929 to 1976.