Jimmy McLane
American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, former world record-holder

Jimmy McLane

The basics
Quick facts
Intro
American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, former world record-holder
A.K.A.
James Price McLane, Jr.
Gender:
Male
Work field:
Birth:
13 September 1930(Pittsburgh)
The details
Biography

James Price McLane, Jr. (born September 13, 1930) is an American former competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.
McLane represented the United States as a 17-year-old at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England. He won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay, with teammates Wally Ris, Wally Wolf and Bill Smith. Ris, McLane, Wolf and Smith set a new world record of 8:46.0 in the event final. Individually, he won another gold medal for his first-place showing in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle, with a time of 19:18.5, finishing almost 13 seconds ahead of Australian John Marshall (19:31.3). He also earned a silver medal for his second-place finish in the men's 400-meter freestyle (4:43.4), finishing behind fellow American Bill Smith (4:41.0).
Four years later at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, he won another gold medal by swimming the anchor leg for the first-place U.S. team in the 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay, together with relay teammates Wayne Moore, Bill Woolsey and Ford Konno. The Americans set a new Olympic record of 8:31.1 in the final. In individual competition, he finished fourth in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle (18:51.5), and seventh in the men's 400-meter freestyle (4:40.3).
McLane was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Phillips Academy. He attended Yale University, where he swam for the Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition. He was a member of Skull and Bones, and graduated from Yale in 1953.