It’s Been 116 Years Since the U.S. Has Had No 18 & Unders on Olympic Swim Team

Katie Ledecky is the youngest member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team (again). At 19, she is the oldest youngest-member of the U.S. Olympic swim team since 1900. She was the youngest member of the 2012 Olympic Team as well, but then was only 15.

The U.S.’s only swimmer in 1900 was Fred Hendschel. He was 2 days past his 21st birthday during the meet. His time of 3:42.0 in the 200 meter freestyle wasn’t good enough to advance out of the semifinals. The winner was Fred Lane of Australia in 2:25.2.

Hendschel’s other event was the 200 meter obstacle swim. The obstacle swim was only contested at the Olympics in 1900. It required competitors to climb over a pole, climb over a row of boats, and swim under a row of boats during their race. 12 swimmers entered and 10 advanced from the semis to the final. Hendeschel didn’t make the final finishing last in semifinal 3 in a time of 3:45.2. This time is impressive, as it’s only 3 seconds slower than his unimpeded 200 free time. Lane also won the obstacle event in 2:38.4.

I don’t know what technique Hendschel was using to go those times as front crawl was introduced in the US by Jam Handy (according to wikipedia) – though many dispute that Native Americans were using a similar technique long before it caught on to the competitive mainstream. Jam Handy’s wikipedia page includes the amazing sentence: “He would often wake up early and devise new strokes to give him an edge over other swimmers.”

Another novelty of the 1900 games was the underwater swim. The event was scored on a points system. One point for each second underwater and two points for each meter covered.  The winner was Charles Devendeville  of France who covered 60 meters and was under water 68.4 seconds. The U.S. didn’t enter anybody.

Other signs of the changing demographic of the sport? Anthony Ervin is the oldest U.S. male individual Olympic swimmer for nearly as long – since 1904.

Young Olympians:

Handy in 1904 was the first in a long line of 18 and under swimmers representing the US at the Olympics. Here’s a reference on one 18 or younger swimmer for every games since then (no promises on them being the youngest athlete at that games):

1904: Jam Handy, 18

1908: Harry Hebner, 16

1912: Perry McGillivray, 18

1916: No Olympics, WWI

1920: Warren Kealoha, 17

1924: Marth Norelius, 13

1928: Marian Gilman, 14

1932: Ralph Flanagan, 13

1936: Mavis Freeman, 17

1940: No Olympics, WWII

1944: No Olympics, WWII

1948: William Dudley, 17

1952: Jody Alderson, 17

1956: Nancy Ramey, 16

1960: Chris von Saltza, 16

1964: Claudia Kolb, 14

1968: Susan Pedersen, 14

1972: Jenny Wylie, 14

1976: Nicole Kramer, 14

1980: US Boycott

1984: Michele Richardson, 15

1988: Beth Barr, 16

1992: Anita Nall, 16

1996: Amanda Beard, 14

2000: Michael Phelps, 15

2004: Dana Vollmer, 16

2008: Elizabeth Beisel, 15

2012: Katie Ledecky, 15

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Swimmer1
7 years ago

Joe Hudepohl, 1992!!

Swamfan
7 years ago

Can we get an article about the history/ development of swimming events in the Olympics??

matt2
7 years ago

A few more tidbits: Much to Baron de Coubertin’s frustration, the 1900 games occurred as apart of World’s Fair and the obstacle course happened in the River Seine, and swimmers were affected by the current, the temperature, and the silt. The next Olympics, in St. Louis 1904, also occurred in conjunction with a World’s Fair. The “pool” there was a human-made lagoon that was too close to the animal pins; several swimmers and water polo players became very sick (and some report that at least one died) as a result of the contamination.

As you can probably tell from my dry writing, I am an academic — and I study sport. While I like most of this post, I… Read more »

Kerry
7 years ago

Kathleen Baker – 2016 Olympian 100 Back – also 19 years old

Swamfan
Reply to  Kerry
7 years ago

Her birthday is before ledecky’s

StuartC
7 years ago

Going back to swimmers and their age – I think we are going to see even more of an increase in the average age in 2020. Swimmers are becoming much more athletic and building greater muscle mass which is allowing them to swim longer (less injuries – although I have no real hard evidence for this), and achieve faster times, especially the underwater sections. Everyone now has fast underwater and most go for at least 11-12 meters — Just compare Ledecky at 15 to now at 19 – her muscle mass has increased – she is much stronger and her turns are so much better! When it comes to males, an 18 year old male is no match for a… Read more »

7 years ago

Was there also a minimum distance that had to be covered in the underwater event in 1900? Otherwise I don’t get why participants wouldn’t simply stay underwater in the same place for over 3 minutes and collect the gold.

Eagleswim
Reply to  Lennart van Haaften
7 years ago

Because moving forward at a low speed requires very little energy, and it gets you two extra points per meter. Frenchy wasn’t exactly booking it at less than a meter per second, he knew what he was doing. And he would have beaten a swimmer who stayed stationary for 3 minutes. 188 to 180

Reply to  Eagleswim
7 years ago

If it took so “very little energy”, why did he stay underwater for only 68.4 seconds? Almost one meter per second underwater takes a certain amount of effort, especially back then with limited knowledge about swimming technique. Two points per meter should not be worth that effort. Doing nothing for 3 minutes and 9 seconds, which is not very long at all, would have beaten his score.

Jimswim
Reply to  Lennart van Haaften
7 years ago

I believe they began by diving off a platform. I would think the hardest thing us staying underwater the whole time without holding on to something. We need more info from a historian.

Reply to  Jimswim
7 years ago

That would make sense. Presumably they had to stay fully immersed the whole time? With full lungs, they’d have required some arm movements just to stay stationary below the surface. And when you’re using muscles anyway, the two points per meter may become a bit more interesting compared to the stationary strategy.

bobo gigi
7 years ago

Just because there wasn’t the special talent this time.
Like Missy or Katie last time.

DrSwimPhil
7 years ago

Jilen Siroky was younger than Amanda Beard (by about a month) in 1996…