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Margaret Woodbridge

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Margaret Woodbridge
Woodbridge in 1920
Personal information
Full nameMargaret Darling Woodbridge
National teamUnited States
Born(1902-01-06)January 6, 1902
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
DiedFebruary 23, 1995(1995-02-23) (aged 93)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubDetroit Athletic Club
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1920 Antwerp 300 m freestyle

Margaret Darling Woodbridge (January 6, 1902 – February 23, 1995), also known by her married name Margaret Presley, was an American competition swimmer for the Detroit Athletic Club, a 1920 Antwerp Olympic gold medalist, and a world record-holder. She was a member of the first U.S. Olympic Women's swimming team.[1]

Swimming for the Detroit Athletic Club, she finished first at the Women's Aquatic Club 4-mile swim in Michigan with a time of 1:09.13, over two minutes ahead of her closest competitor, Euphrasia Donnely. The four mile route went from the Fellowcraft Athletic Club to the Detroit Boat Club.[2]

Woodbridge, trained by Hall of Fame Coach Matthew Mann of the Detroit Athletic Club, set national records in both the 200 and 500-yard freestyle events and gave serious competition to the dominant swimmers from the Women’s Swimming Association of New York.[3]

1920 Olympics

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At the finals of the 1920 Olympic Trials, Woodbridge placed fifth in the 100-meter freestyle and fourth in the 300-meter freestyle. Though she qualified only as an alternate, she would improve her times in Olympic competition and play a major part in the winning of medals for the U.S. Women's team.[3][1]

Gold medal

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Later representing the United States at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium,[4] she won the gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay.[4][5] Woodbridge and her American relay teammates Frances Schroth, Irene Guest and Ethelda Bleibtrey set a new world record of 5:11.6 in the event final.[4]

Silver medal

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E. Bleibtrey, 1920

Individually, Woodbridge received a silver medal for her second-place performance of 4:42.8 in the women's 300-meter freestyle, finishing behind American teammate Ethelda Bleibtrey of New York's Women's Swimming Association. Having previously broken the world record in the 100-meter event, Bleibtrey then broke the world record for the women's 300-meter event as well in both the heats and the finals. The prior record had been 4:43.6, which Bleibtrey set earlier in the year. The 300-meter freestyle would never again be an Olympic event. In the following Olympics in 1924 and from then on, women competed at the more standard distance of 400 meters.[6][4][7]

Honors

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Woodbridge was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Pioneer Swimmer" in 1989.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Olympedia Profile, Margaret Woodbridge". olympedia.org. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Victory Goes to D.A.C. Miss", Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, 6 September 1921, pg. 13
  3. ^ a b c "Margaret Woodbridge (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Margaret Woodbridge. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  5. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, United States Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  6. ^ "Results, 1920 Olympics, 300 metres Freestyle, Women". olympedia.org. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  7. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games, Women's 300 metres Freestyle Final. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
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