The women's 4×100 metre freestyle relay event at the 1960 Olympic Games

1960 Summer Olympics

The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...

 took place on September 2 and 3. This swimming

Swimming (sport)

Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...

 event used freestyle

Freestyle swimming

Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...

 as a relay, with swimmers typically using the front crawl

Front crawl

The front crawl, forward crawl, or freestyle is a swimming stroke usually regarded as the fastest of the four front primary strokes. As such, the front crawl stroke is nearly universally used during a freestyle swimming competition, hence the synonymously used term "freestyle". It is one of two...

. Because an Olympic size swimming pool is 50 metres long, each of the four swimmers completed two lengths of the pool. The first swimmer had to touch the wall before the second could leave the starting block; timing of the starts was thus important.

Medalists

Joan Spillane Joan Spillane Joan Spillane is an American swimmer and olympic champion. She competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where she received a gold medal in the 4×100m freestyle relay.Spillane studied at the University of Michigan.-References:*... Shirley Stobs Shirley Stobs Shirley Stobs is an American swimmer and olympic champion. She competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where she received a gold medal in the 4×100m freestyle relay. Her teammates were Joan Spillane, Carolyn Wood and Chris von Saltza.... Carolyn Wood Carolyn Wood (swimmer) Carolyn Wood is a former competitive freestyle and butterfly swimmer from the United States who won a gold medal the 4×100m freestyle relay in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy... Chris von Saltza Chris von Saltza Susan Christina von Saltza is a former competitive freestyle swimmer from the United States who, at the age of 16, won one silver and three gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. She set the world record in the 400 meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials... Donna de Varona Donna de Varona Donna Elizabeth de Varona is a former American swimmer of Mexican and Irish descent.-Swimming career:... * Susan Doerr Susan Doerr Susan Elizabeth Doerr is a former American swimmer. She represented the United States as an fifteen-year-old at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where she won a gold medal is the 4×100-meter freestyle relay for her contribution in the heats.-External links:* , from... * Sylvia Ruuska Sylvia Ruuska Sylvia Elina Ruuska is a retired medley and freestyle swimmer from the United States, who won two Olympic medals at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia when she was aged fourteen. She captured silver with the women's relay team in the 4x100 m freestyle and bronze in the individual 400... * Molly Botkin Molly Botkin Molly Ray Botkin is a former American swimmer. She represented the United States as an sixteen-year-old at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where she won a gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay for her contribution in the heats... *

Dawn Fraser Dawn Fraser Dawn Fraser AO, MBE is an Australian champion swimmer. She is one of only two swimmers to win the same Olympic event three times – in her case the 100 meters freestyle.... Ilsa Konrads Ilsa Konrads Ilsa Konrads was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won silver in the 4x100 m freestyle relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. In her career, she set 12 individual world records, and after her swimming career ended, was the Australasian editor of Belle... Lorraine Crapp Lorraine Crapp Lorraine Crapp is a former Olympic swimming champion representing Australia. She competed in two Olympic Games — the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1960 Summer Olympics. She won two Olympic gold medals in 1956... Alva Colquhuon Alva Colquhuon Alva Colquhuon is a former Australian freestyle and butterfly swimmer of the 1950s, who won a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay at the 1960 Rome Olympics... Sandra Morgan Sandra Morgan Sandra Anne Morgan is a former Australian freestyle swimmer, who won gold in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. At the age of 14 years and 6 months, she became the youngest Australian to win an Olympic gold medal, a record that still stands... * Ruth Everuss*

Christel Steffin Heidi Pechstein Gisela Weiss Ursula Brunner

* Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.

Heats

Heat 1
Heat 2