How Weissmuller came to stardom is a unique story. The list will include Duke Kahanamoku and Weissmuller as stars of the early years, setting the table for Don Schollander and Mark Spitz and, eventually, Matt Biondi and Michael Phelps. Even today, nearly a century after Weissmuller rode his freestyle stroke to multiple Olympic gold medals and numerous world-record performances, he is an easy choice as one of the top-10 swimmers of all-time.Īsk anyone with a vast knowledge of swimming about the greatest American men to ever hit the pool and chances are, you will get a six-name list which spans 100 years. Yet, before he went to Tinsel Town, Weissmuller etched his name in the annals of swimming, becoming the biggest star of his time and an Olympic champion.
A cinematic star during the first half of the 20th century, Weissmuller was the human King of the Jungle, perfecting the Tarzan scream while becoming the most-famed actor to handle the role on the big screen. Many recollections of Weissmuller paint a man running around bare-chested and wearing nothing more than a loin cloth. Either way, Johnny Weissmuller – granted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame – was revered as one of the 20th century’s most iconic figures. For as many people who know him as one of the greatest swimmers in history, an equal number remember him for playing the prominent Hollywood role of Tarzan. The way he is remembered varies from person to person. The legacy of the man who would become Tarzan endures. It’s been a century since Johnny Weissmuller won the first national title of his illustrious career, and nearly 100 years since his first world record. A Century Later, Johnny Weissmuller – Champion Ape Man – Remains An Iconic Figure
0 kommentar(er)
