Shirley Frances Babashoff (born January 31, 1957) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in multiple events. Babashoff set six world records and earned a total of nine Olympic medals in her career.[1] She won a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay in both the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, and she won the 1975 world championship in both the 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle.[2]
During her career, she set 37 national records (17 individual and 20 relay) and for some time held all national freestyle records from the 100-meter to 800-meter event.[2]
At the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials, she won all the freestyle events, as well as the 400-meter individual medley, setting one world and six national records in the process.[2]
At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, she won four silver medals and a gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay in world record time, despite the competition being dominated by the East German swimmers. The four silver medals came in the 200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle, and the 4×100-meter medley relay. Although Babashoff never won an individual gold medal in Olympic competition, she is still regarded as one of the top swimmers in history, and is most vividly remembered for having swum the anchor leg on the gold-medal winning 4×100-meter freestyle relay team, in its victory over the doped up, steroid-plagued 1976 East German women, in what is widely acknowledged as having been the single greatest race in the entire history of women's swimming. The East German team of Kornelia Ender, Petra Thumer, Andrea Pollack and Claudia Hempel was heavily favored to win the race. Prior to the relay, American sportscaster Donna de Varona picked East Germany to win the event, but Kim Peyton, Wendy Boglioli and Jill Sterkel teamed with Babashoff to pull off a great upset as Babashoff outlegged Hempel down the stretch to win the gold medal and shatter the world record by 4 seconds. After the event, de Varona said, "I have never been happier to eat my words in the prediction I made right before this event." Shirley Babashoff's time in winning the silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the 1976 Olympics would have defeated men's gold medalist Don Schollander twelve years earlier at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.[citation needed]
Personal life
Babashoff in 2016
Babashoff was one of four children of Jack Babashoff, a machinist, and Vera Slivkoff, a housewife. Her father had been a swimming instructor in Hawaii and always wanted his own children to become Olympians. Both of her parents are second-generation Russian American.[3][4]
Babashoff was occasionally referred to as "Surly Shirley" and described as a "sore loser" by the media because of her public accusations of drug cheating by the East German swimmers. To her credit, she was later proven correct-that most East German athletes were using performance-enhancing drugs, substantiated by investigators in the PBS documentary, "Secrets of the Dead: Doping for Gold."[2][5] Shirley's accusations of drug use by East German swimmers was widely confirmed after the fall of Communism in East Germany. It is estimated that the Shirley was denied three gold medals as a result of cheating by East Germany.
On April 30, 2005, Babashoff received the Olympic Order, the highest award of the Olympic Movement, during the Inaugural Olympic Assembly luncheon. International Olympic Committee members Bob Ctvrtlik, Anita DeFrantz, and Jim Easton presented the award. The IOC established the Olympic Order in 1974 to honor individuals who have illustrated the Olympic Ideals through their actions, have achieved remarkable merit in the sporting world, or have rendered outstanding services to the Olympic cause, either through their own personal achievements or their contributions to the development of sport.
^. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures (January 1, 2002).
^ abcPaula Edelson (January 1, 2002). A to Z of American Women in Sports. Infobase Publishing. pp. 13–. ISBN978-1-4381-0789-9. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
Epting, Chris; Babashoff, Shirley (2016). Making Waves: My Journey to Winning Olympic Gold and Defeating the East German Doping Program. Santa Monica Press. ISBN978-1595800879.
Further reading
Crouse, Karen (August 1, 2016). "Clean Athletes in Doping Era, and Glory Lost". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shirley Babashoff.
shirley, babashoff, shirley, frances, babashoff, born, january, 1957, american, former, competition, swimmer, olympic, champion, former, world, record, holder, multiple, events, babashoff, world, records, earned, total, nine, olympic, medals, career, gold, med. Shirley Frances Babashoff born January 31 1957 is an American former competition swimmer Olympic champion and former world record holder in multiple events Babashoff set six world records and earned a total of nine Olympic medals in her career 1 She won a gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle relay in both the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and she won the 1975 world championship in both the 200 meter and 400 meter freestyle 2 Shirley BabashoffBabashoff left on the podium at 1972 OlympicsPersonal informationFull nameShirley Frances BabashoffNational teamUnited StatesBorn 1957 01 31 January 31 1957 age 65 Whittier California U S Height5 ft 10 in 1 78 m Weight148 lb 67 kg SportSportSwimmingStrokesFreestyleClubMission Viejo NadadoresMedal record Women s swimmingRepresenting the United StatesEvent 1st 2nd 3rdOlympic Games 3 6 0World Championships 2 7 1Total 5 13 1Olympic Games1972 Munich 4 100 m medley1972 Munich 4 100 m freestyle1976 Montreal 4 100 m freestyle1972 Munich 100 m freestyle1972 Munich 200 m freestyle1976 Montreal 200 m freestyle1976 Montreal 400 m freestyle1976 Montreal 800 m freestyle1976 Montreal 4 100 m medleyWorld Championships1975 Cali 200 m freestyle1975 Cali 400 m freestyle1973 Belgrade 100 m freestyle1973 Belgrade 200 m freestyle1973 Belgrade 4 100 m freestyle1973 Belgrade 4 100 m medley1975 Cali 4 100 m freestyle1975 Cali 4 100 m medley1975 Cali 100 m freestyle1975 Cali 800 m freestyleDuring her career she set 37 national records 17 individual and 20 relay and for some time held all national freestyle records from the 100 meter to 800 meter event 2 Contents 1 1976 Summer Olympics 2 Personal life 3 See also 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 Further reading 7 External links1976 Summer Olympics EditAt the 1976 U S Olympic Trials she won all the freestyle events as well as the 400 meter individual medley setting one world and six national records in the process 2 At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal Quebec she won four silver medals and a gold medal in the 4 100 meter freestyle relay in world record time despite the competition being dominated by the East German swimmers The four silver medals came in the 200 meter 400 meter and 800 meter freestyle and the 4 100 meter medley relay Although Babashoff never won an individual gold medal in Olympic competition she is still regarded as one of the top swimmers in history and is most vividly remembered for having swum the anchor leg on the gold medal winning 4 100 meter freestyle relay team in its victory over the doped up steroid plagued 1976 East German women in what is widely acknowledged as having been the single greatest race in the entire history of women s swimming The East German team of Kornelia Ender Petra Thumer Andrea Pollack and Claudia Hempel was heavily favored to win the race Prior to the relay American sportscaster Donna de Varona picked East Germany to win the event but Kim Peyton Wendy Boglioli and Jill Sterkel teamed with Babashoff to pull off a great upset as Babashoff outlegged Hempel down the stretch to win the gold medal and shatter the world record by 4 seconds After the event de Varona said I have never been happier to eat my words in the prediction I made right before this event Shirley Babashoff s time in winning the silver medal in the 400 meter freestyle at the 1976 Olympics would have defeated men s gold medalist Don Schollander twelve years earlier at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo citation needed Personal life Edit Babashoff in 2016 Babashoff was one of four children of Jack Babashoff a machinist and Vera Slivkoff a housewife Her father had been a swimming instructor in Hawaii and always wanted his own children to become Olympians Both of her parents are second generation Russian American 3 4 In 1982 she was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer 3 Babashoff was occasionally referred to as Surly Shirley and described as a sore loser by the media because of her public accusations of drug cheating by the East German swimmers To her credit she was later proven correct that most East German athletes were using performance enhancing drugs substantiated by investigators in the PBS documentary Secrets of the Dead Doping for Gold 2 5 Shirley s accusations of drug use by East German swimmers was widely confirmed after the fall of Communism in East Germany It is estimated that the Shirley was denied three gold medals as a result of cheating by East Germany After her Olympic career ended Babashoff coached swimming had a son in 1986 whom she raised alone and became a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service in Orange County California 5 On April 30 2005 Babashoff received the Olympic Order the highest award of the Olympic Movement during the Inaugural Olympic Assembly luncheon International Olympic Committee members Bob Ctvrtlik Anita DeFrantz and Jim Easton presented the award The IOC established the Olympic Order in 1974 to honor individuals who have illustrated the Olympic Ideals through their actions have achieved remarkable merit in the sporting world or have rendered outstanding services to the Olympic cause either through their own personal achievements or their contributions to the development of sport Her brother Jack Babashoff won the silver medal behind teammate Jim Montgomery in the 100 meter freestyle at the 1976 Olympics Her other brother Bill and sister Debbie were also swimmers who competed internationally 5 Shirley attended Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley California In 1973 she led the school to their first ever California Interscholastic Federation Championship in girls swimming See also Edit Biography portal Olympics portalList of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists List of Olympic medalists in swimming women List of University of California Los Angeles people List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming women World record progression 200 metres freestyle World record progression 400 metres freestyle World record progression 800 metres freestyle World record progression 4 100 metres freestyle relayReferences Edit Olympic org Shirley Babashoff a b c d Sports Reference com Olympic Sports Athletes Shirley Babashoff Retrieved September 11 2012 a b Shirley Babashoff USA ISHOF org International Swimming Hall of Fame Retrieved October 20 2012 dead link Babashoff Shirley Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives Thematic Series Sports Figures January 1 2002 a b c Paula Edelson January 1 2002 A to Z of American Women in Sports Infobase Publishing pp 13 ISBN 978 1 4381 0789 9 Retrieved November 10 2012 Bibliography EditDe George Matthew Pooling Talent Swimming s Greatest Teams Rowman amp Littlefield Lanham Maryland 2014 ISBN 978 1 4422 3701 8 Epting Chris Babashoff Shirley 2016 Making Waves My Journey to Winning Olympic Gold and Defeating the East German Doping Program Santa Monica Press ISBN 978 1595800879 Further reading EditCrouse Karen August 1 2016 Clean Athletes in Doping Era and Glory Lost The New York Times p A1 Retrieved August 2 2016 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shirley Babashoff Shirley Babashoff USA Honor Swimmer profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame at the Wayback Machine archived September 5 2015 Shirley Babashoff at the USOPC Hall of Fame Shirley Babashoff at Olympics com Shirley Babashoff at Olympedia Babashoff had mettle to speak out about steroids by Christine Brennan Bleacher Report on Shirley Babashoff Shirley Babashoff Breaks 30 Year Silence on East Germany s Systematic Doping of Olympians Swimming World Magazine at the Wayback Machine archived 2007 04 04 Babashoff And Ender by Sports Illustrated on July 13 1992 Olympic GamesPreceded by Most career Olympic medalswon by an American woman 2000 Succeeded byJenny Thompson Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shirley Babashoff amp oldid 1104138208, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
