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| '''Robert Danforth Skelton''' (June 25, 1903 – June 25, 1977) was an American competition ], Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/51565 |title=Bob Skelton |work=Olympedia |access-date=November 15, 2021}}</ref> | '''Robert Danforth Skelton''' (June 25, 1903 – June 25, 1977) was an American competition ], Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/51565 |title=Bob Skelton |work=Olympedia |access-date=November 15, 2021}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Skelton was born in ]. Beginning in the Fall of 1922, he attended ] in Evanston, Illinois, where he swam for the ] swimming and diving team in ] (NCAA) competition under Hall of Fame Coach Tom Robinson.<ref name=Robinson>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/search/?title=Harry_Hebner&action=edit|title=International Swimming Hall of Fame, Bob Skelton|website=ishof.org|access-date=25 December 2024}}</ref> By 1922, excelling in distance events, Skelton held world records in the 200 and 440 yard events. In outdoor competition, he held records in 200 and 400-meter swim.<ref>"Over Thirty to Be in Contests", ''Kenosha News'', Kenosha, Wisconsin, 6 December 1922, pg. 17</ref> | ||
| ==Biography== | |||
| ⚫ | Skelton was born in ]. Beginning in the Fall of 1922, |
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| ===1924 Olympic gold=== | |||
| Skelton competed at the ] in Paris, where he won a gold medal in the ] event. Skelton finished in 2:56.6, decisively defeating Belgian swimmer ] (2:59.2), and fellow American ] (3:01.0). He was the first American to set a world record for the 200-meter breaststroke. | Skelton competed at the ] in Paris, where he won a gold medal in the ] event. Skelton finished in 2:56.6, decisively defeating Belgian swimmer ] (2:59.2), and fellow American ] (3:01.0). He was the first American to set a world record for the 200-meter breaststroke. | ||
Revision as of 22:20, 25 December 2024
American swimmer (1903–1977)
 Ralph Breyer, Bob Skelton, Johnny Weissmuller, c. 1925 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Danforth Skelton | ||||||||||||||
| National team | United States | ||||||||||||||
| Born | (1903-06-25)June 25, 1903 Wilmette, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | June 25, 1977(1977-06-25) (aged 74) Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Breaststroke | ||||||||||||||
| Club | Illinois Athletic Club | ||||||||||||||
| College team | Northwestern University | ||||||||||||||
| Coach | Bill Bachrach (IAC) Tom Robinson (Northwestern) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Robert Danforth Skelton (June 25, 1903 – June 25, 1977) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.
Skelton was born in Wilmette, Illinois. Beginning in the Fall of 1922, he attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he swam for the Northwestern Wildcats swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition under Hall of Fame Coach Tom Robinson. By 1922, excelling in distance events, Skelton held world records in the 200 and 440 yard events. In outdoor competition, he held records in 200 and 400-meter swim.
1924 Olympic gold
Skelton competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where he won a gold medal in the men's 200-meter breaststroke event. Skelton finished in 2:56.6, decisively defeating Belgian swimmer Joseph De Combe (2:59.2), and fellow American Bill Kirschbaum (3:01.0). He was the first American to set a world record for the 200-meter breaststroke.
Skelton died in Houston, Texas in 1977; he was 74 years old.
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Northwestern University alumni
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- World record progression 200 metres breaststroke
References
- "Bob Skelton". Olympedia. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- "International Swimming Hall of Fame, Bob Skelton". ishof.org. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
- "Over Thirty to Be in Contests", Kenosha News, Kenosha, Wisconsin, 6 December 1922, pg. 17
Sources
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Bob Skelton". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
- Robert Skelton (USA) – Honor Pioneer Swimmer profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Erich Rademacher |
Men's 200-meter breaststroke world record-holder (long course) March 21, 1924 – April 7, 1924 |
Succeeded by Erich Rademacher |
| 1924 USA Olympic swimming team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Team |  | |
| Women's Team | ||
| Olympic champions in men's 200 m breaststroke | |
|---|---|
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  | This article about a swimming Olympic medalist of the United States is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1903 births
- 1977 deaths
- People from Wilmette, Illinois
- American male breaststroke swimmers
- World record setters in swimming
- Northwestern Wildcats men's swimmers
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming
- Swimmers at the 1924 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 1924 Summer Olympics
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- American swimming Olympic medalist stubs