Yvonne Godard

From the mid-1920s until the early 1930s Yvonne Godard was one of the best freestyle swimmers in France, winning multiple titles and setting several national records. Between August 1929 and August 1931 Godard improved the French record in the 100 metres freestyle on no fewer than ten occasions. She began training with the Club des Nageurs de Paris in 1925 and finished third in the Traversée de Paris à la nage (“Swimming across Paris”) race in the Seine in 1927. From there she went on to dominate in the pool, winning four national titles in the 100 metres freestyle (1929–32), and three titles in the 400 metres freestyle (1930–32). Along with her national titles she also set French records in every distance from 50 metres to 1,500 metres.

Godard won gold in the 100 metres freestyle at the 1931 European Aquatics Championships in Paris, along with bronze in the 400 metres freestyle. The following year she swam in both events at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, finishing fifth in the final of the latter. In November 1932 she was involved in a serious car accident in Spain, which ultimately led to a premature end to her swimming career. Godard then began to take flying lessons and became a pilot in 1935, in addition to later working as a nurse. A swimming pool in Paris was named after her, along with a street in the northwest city of Saint-Lô.