Halmay, Zoltán

▪ Hungarian athlete

born June 18, 1881, Budapest, Hungary

died May 20, 1956, Budapest

      Hungarian swimmer who won seven Olympic medals and was the first world record holder in the 100-metre freestyle.

      At the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, Halmay won silver medals in the 200-metre and 4,000-metre freestyle events and a bronze in the 1,000-metre freestyle. At the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri, he finished strongly in the sprint events to win gold medals in the 50-yard and the 100-yard freestyle; he won a silver in the 100-metre freestyle and a gold in the 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay at the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens. At the 1908 Olympics in London, Halmay took silver medals in both the 100-metre freestyle and the 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay.

      Halmay swam in one of the most controversial races in Olympic history, in which judges were unable to ascertain whether he or American Scott Leary had won the 50-yard freestyle during the 1904 Olympics. The race was run a second time, with Halmay victorious. Halmay swam exclusively with his arms—his stroke eliminated all leg movement and relied entirely on upper-body strength.

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