Jimmy McLane

James Price McLane Jr. (September 13, 1930 – December 13, 2020) was an American competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and a world record-holder.

Jimmy McLane
McLane (left) in 1950
Personal information
Full nameJames Price McLane Jr.
Nickname(s)"Jimmy"
National team United States
Born(1930-09-13)September 13, 1930
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedDecember 13, 2020(2020-12-13) (aged 90)
Ipswich, Massachusetts, U.S.
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubNew Haven Swim Club
College teamYale University

Biography

Representing the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England[1] as a 17-year-old, McLane won a gold medal in the men's 1500-meter freestyle, with a time of 19:18.5, finishing almost 13 seconds ahead of Australian John Marshall (19:31.3).[2] He also earned a silver medal for his second-place finish in the men's 400-meter freestyle (4:43.4), finishing behind fellow American Bill Smith (4:41.0).[3]

He won another gold medal, along with teammates Wally Ris, Wally Wolf, and Bill Smith, as a member of the U.S.'s 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay, which set a new world record of 8:46.0 in the event final.[4]

At the 1948 U.S. Olympic trials for the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, several swimmers who had already qualified for the Olympics in other events slowed down in their heats or swam fast in the prelims and scratched themselves for the final to allow more swimmers to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team.[5] McLane was one of the two swimmers who swam and scratched themselves from the trials final after having the fastest time in the prelims. Ultimately, coach Robert Kiphuth held a time trial shortly after the actual trials[6] with eleven of the swimmers. This time trial had McLane as first overall with a time of 2:11.0, Bill Smith and Wally Wolf in 2:11.2, and Wally Ris in 2:12.4. The next four-Eugene Rogers in 2:14.2, Edwin Gilbert in 2:15.4, Robert Gibe in 2:15.6, and William Dudley in 2:15.9, were used in the Olympic prelims.[7]

Four years later at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, McLane won another gold medal by swimming the anchor leg for the U.S. team in the 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay, together with relay teammates Wayne Moore, Bill Woolsey, and Ford Konno. The Americans set a new Olympic record of 8:31.1 in the final.[8] In individual competition, he finished fourth in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle (18:51.5),[9] and seventh in the men's 400-meter freestyle (4:40.3).[10]

McLane was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[11] At the age of 13, he won the four-mile swim at the national AAU outdoor long-distance championships. As a student at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, he set national high school records in the 200-yard freestyle, 220-yard freestyle, and 440-yard freestyle. He attended Yale University, where he helped the Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving team win two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships. He graduated from Yale in 1953.[12] He retired from swimming after winning three gold medals at the 1955 Pan American Games. In 1970, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.[13]

McLane died at his home in Ipswich, Massachusetts on December 13, 2020, at the age of 90. He had lived in Ipswich for the past 13 years.[14][15]

See also

References
  1. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Jimmy McLane Archived March 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  2. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1948 London Summer Games, Men's 1500 metres Freestyle Final Archived November 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  3. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1948 London Summer Games, Men's 400 metres Freestyle Final Archived October 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  4. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1948 London Summer Games, Men's 4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay Final Archived October 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  5. New York Times 25 July 1948 Page S3
  6. New York Times 28 July 1948 Page 29
  7. Page 128 1948 US Olympic Book
  8. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games, Men's 4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay Final Archived January 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  9. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games, Men's 1500 metres Freestyle Final Archived November 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  10. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games, Men's 400 metres Freestyle Final Archived January 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  11. John Lohn, Historical Dictionary of Competitive Swimming, Scarecrow Press, Inc., Lanham, Maryland, p. 94 (2010). Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  12. "Barbara C. Hamby Is Married Here: Little Church Is Setting for Wedding to Pvt. J. McLane, 1952 Olympic Swimmer," The New York Times (January 14, 1954).
  13. Jimmy McLane (USA). International Swimming Hall of Fame
  14. "James McLane obituary". Ipswich Local News. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  15. Muldoon, John P. (December 15, 2020). "Swimming legend James "Jimmy" McLane dies age 90". Ipswich Local News. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
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