Susanne Jean Atwood (born June 5, 1953) is an American former competition

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

, two-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder in two events. Atwood represented the United States as a 15-year-old at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

in Mexico City.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes
Susie Atwood
Retrieved September 6, 2015. She competed in the preliminary heats of the women's 200-meter backstroke, recording a time of 2:35.2, but did not advance. She garnered significant success three years later at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, where she received three medals.HickokSports.com, Sports History
Pan American Games: Women's Swimming Medalists
. Retrieved October 21, 2012. She received silver medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke events, and a bronze in the 400-meter individual medley. Before the 1972 US Olympic Trials, she held the world record in the 200-meter backstroke (2:21.5), though her record would be broken by

Melissa Belote Melissa Louise Belote (born October 16, 1956), also known by her current married name Melissa Belote Ripley, is an American former competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two events. She represented ...

at the trials & again by Belote in Munich. Atwood won two medals at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

in Munich, Germany. She received the silver medal for her second-place performance (2:20.38) in the women's 200-meter backstroke, finishing behind fellow American Melissa Belote, who set a new world-record time in the event (2:19.19). Atwood received a bronze medal for her third-place finish in the women's 100-meter backstroke, coming behind Belote and Hungarian Andrea Gyarmati. She also swam the backstroke leg for the winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the women's 4×100-meter medley relay.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1972 München Summer Games
United States Swimming
Retrieved September 6, 2015. She did not receive a medal in the medley relay because she did not swim in the event final, and was therefore ineligible to receive a medal under the Olympic swimming rules in effect in 1972. She became the head coach of the

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree ...

women's swimming and diving team in 1977. Atwood was inducted into the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1992.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atwood, Susie American female backstroke swimmers American female medley swimmers 1953 births Living people World record setters in swimming Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States Ohio State Buckeyes swimming coaches Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming Sportspeople from Long Beach, California Swimmers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1971 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 1972 Summer Olympics Millikan High School alumni Whittier College alumni Pan American Games medalists in swimming Universiade medalists in swimming FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States Medalists at the 1973 Summer Universiade Medalists at the 1971 Pan American Games 20th-century American women

See also

References