Mariechen Wehselau
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Mariechen M.•Wehselau (-Jackson) |
| Used name | Mariechen•Wehselau |
| Nick/petnames | Squeaky |
| Born | 15 May 1906 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi (USA) |
| Died | 12 July 1992 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi (USA) |
| Affiliations | Outrigger Canoe Club, Honolulu (USA) |
| NOC |  United States |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 1 |
| Silver | 1 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 2 |
Biography
Mariechen Wehselau, whose first name means “Little Marie” in German, was born of German parents who had moved to Hawai’i, and she was the first great woman swimmer from the island paradise. At the 1924 Olympics she set a world record of 1:12.2 in winning the first heat of the 100m freestyle, but could not quite repeat that form in the final and lost to Ethel Lackie, who won by a touch in 1:12.4. She set a second world record later in the Games as a member of the winning relay team. After the Games she returned to Hawai’i, where she became a swim coach for several years.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | USA |
Mariechen Wehselau | |||
| 100 metres Freestyle, Women (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women (Olympic) | United States | 1 | Gold |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Long Course Swimming (100 m freestyle – 19 July 1924 - 28 January 1926: 1:12.2 (19 July 1924; Paris, FRA); 4×100 m freestyle relay – 20 July 1924 - 9 August 1928: 4:58.8 (20 July 1924; Paris, FRA))