Johnny Weissmuller (1904–1984) was born in the Austro-Hungarian town of Freidorf. Weissmuller’s time in Freidorf was brief, as his parents emigrated to the United States in 1905. They briefly settled in Windber, Pennsylvania, before moving to Chicago three years later.
Like a Fish to Water
“My doctor said I should take up some sort of exercise to build myself up,” Weissmuller recalled. “I found I had a natural flair for it.”He did indeed have a “natural flair” for swimming and soon began competing in swimming tournaments. He joined a local YMCA and became a champion swimmer for the city-wide Chicago YMCAs.
As Weissmuller dominated the local youth swimming scene, Bill Bachrach was quickly becoming the nation’s most successful swim coach. Bachrach got his start coaching at the Chicago YMCA, but before Weissmuller arrived, he had become the swimming and water polo coach for the Illinois Athletic Club (IAC), which was located in Chicago.
An Eye on Paris
The young swimmer continued to increase his speed. In 1922, he burst onto the competitive scene like never before when he broke the 1-minute barrier in the 100-meter freestyle. His time was 58.6 seconds. The following year, on July 4, 1923, he broke the 500-meter freestyle world record by 11 seconds. As the 1924 Olympics in Paris approached, it was obvious Weissmuller would be a force to reckon with. And his coach? None other than Bachrach.Weissmuller’s star would shine in the City of Lights. He returned home with three gold medals for the 100-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle, and the 4x200 meter relay. He also won a bronze medal with the U.S. water polo team. In the 100-meter freestyle, he again broke the one-minute mark at 59 seconds. He was exactly 2.4 seconds and 2.8 seconds ahead, respectively, of fellow Americans and Hawaiian brothers, Duke and Sam Kahanamoku. The U.S. swim team captured 13 gold medals under the leadership of Bachrach.

An Olympic Return
Weissmuller returned home a sports hero. His amateur achievements continued as he eyed the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. Again, Bachrach was his coach. Leading up to the 1928 Olympics, Weissmuller set a world record in the 100-yard freestyle at 51 seconds—a record held for 17 years. He actually beat this record at the age of 36—around 13 years after he first set it—with a time of 48.5 seconds; by this time, however, he was no longer an amateur, but a professional.In Amsterdam, Weissmuller competed in the 100-meter freestyle again and bested his 1924 Olympic record with a time of 58.6 seconds. He decided not to compete in the 400-meter freestyle, but did compete with the water polo team, although they failed to medal. Meanwhile, the swim team captured 10 gold medals.