Know Your Olympics - Paris Olympics 1924

Rise of Johnny Weissmuller, the original Tarzan

Johnny Weissmuller - The original Tarzan who struck gold at Paris

The Paris Olympics also saw the rise of an American hero. Although he found his ultimate fame as a popular actor, his initial recognition began as a champion swimmer. His name is Johnny Weissmuller, and this is his story.

In 1922, Johnny had an opportunity to try out for the famous swimming coach Bill Bachrach. Impressed with John's performance, he took him under his wing. Bill was a strong father figure and mentor to Johnny in Olympic swimming.

On July 9, 1922, Weissmuller broke Duke Kahanamoku's world record in the 100m freestyle, swimming it in 58.6 seconds. When he made his Olympic debut at the Paris Olympics, he won the gold medal, beating Duke for the same. He also won the 400m freestyle and was a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4×200m relay.

However, it looks like Johnny wasn't done yet. He further played an important role in delivering USA a respectable bronze medal in the water polo event. He further won two more gold medals at the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928, before switching to the movies and finding fame as the first known Tarzan.