100 Years Ago, Johnny Weissmuller Earned 3 Gold Medals at the 1924 Paris Games

Johnny Weissmuller during a training in New York. (AFP via Getty Images)

With the 2024 Paris Olympic Games starting on July 26, viewers worldwide are preparing to cheer for their countries for the next two weeks in various sports competitions.

Several Olympic swimmers, including Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, and Matt Biondi, have brought home gold for the United States. But a century ago, Johnny Weissmuller swam at the Paris Games and became an American legend.

Janos Peter Weissmuller was born on June 2, 1904, in Freidorf under the Austro-Hungarian empire. His family immigrated to the United States when he was an infant, ultimately settling in Chicago in 1908.

At 9 years old, Weissmuller contracted polio and took up swimming to help combat the disease.

More than a decade later, Weissmuller won three gold medals at the 1924 Paris Olympics after dominating the 100-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle, and the 4x200 relay. The swimming legend also won a bronze medal in water polo the same year.

Weissmuller made his Olympic debut during the reign of Hawaiian swimmer Duke Kahanamoku. Frequently dubbed the “father of surfing,” Kahanamoku met his match when Weissmuller won the gold medal against him in the 100 final.

In the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, Weissmuller won two more gold medals for the United States. By this time, he broke multiple swimming records, becoming the first to swim 100 meters in under 60 seconds and the first to swim 400 meters in under five minutes.

He ultimately won 52 U.S. National Championships and set 67 world records.

Weissmuller is also recognized as the first athlete to sign an endorsement deal with a swimwear company and was among the first members inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

David Davis, the author of the biography “Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku,” understood Weissmuller’s significance in the sports realm, especially due to a new wave of media that drew more attention to notable athletes, as reported by azcentral.com.

“I don’t think people today recognize how big Johnny Weissmuller was in the Twenties,” the author said. “He really was mentioned in the Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey pantheon as one of the great athletes of the 20th century.

“By the time you get to 1924, you’re in this new world of media. Sports writers are a big deal, and they really plump up Johnny Weissmuller. Having this young, strapping guy, they loved him. Ruth and Dempsey, the sports writers made them larger than life in America.

“It was great timing for Johnny, and he took advantage of it and became one of those heroic figures. He was an amazing talent, perfect build for a swimmer, and he certainly justified a lot of the accolades he got.”

Tarzan

Following his Olympic victories, Weissmuller became an icon both in and out of the pool. In 1929, he appeared as Adonis in “Glorifying the American Girl.” Known for his strong and energetic image, Weissmuller got his big break after being cast as Tarzan in “Tarzan the Ape Man” (1932).

Bernard Hyman, a Hollywood producer, believed Weissmuller’s name was too long, but after he was made aware of the Olympian’s fame, Hyman surrendered and said: “We’ll just lengthen the marquee. And put lots of water in the film.”

The swimmer-turned-actor would go on to appear in 11 more Tarzan films, such as “Tarzan and His Mate” (1934), “Tarzan’s Secret Treasure” (1941), “Tarzan’s New York Adventure” (1942), and “Tarzan and the Mermaids” (1948).

These films birthed the distinctive “Tarzan yell,” which was brought to life from what the character’s creator, Edgar Burroughs, described in his books as “the victory cry of the bull ape.”

Maureen O’Sullivan played Jane Parker, Tarzan’s love interest in the first six MGM films. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that faces the star of Weissmuller.

“The public forgives my acting because they know I was an athlete,” Weissmuller said in a 1970 Sports Illustrated interview. “They know I wasn’t make-believe, like a lot of actors.”