Wally Ris
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Walter Steven Ris (January 4, 1924 – December 25, 1989) was an American 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 champion, and world record-holder. Ris won two gold medals at the
1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...
in London, England.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes
Biography and Statistics at Sports Reference
Retrieved March 6, 2015.
He received his first gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay, and set a new world record of 8:46.0 with American teammates
Jimmy McLane James Price McLane Jr. (September 13, 1930 – December 13, 2020) was an American competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and a world record-holder. Biography Representing the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, Engla ...
,
Wally Wolf Wallace "Wally" Perry Wolf Jr. (October 2, 1930 – March 12, 1997) was an American competition swimmer, water polo player, and Olympic champion. He competed in the 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960 Summer Olympics. Personal Wolf was born in Los A ...
, and Bill Smith. At the US Olympic trials of the 1948 4x200-meter freestyle relay, several swimmers who had already qualified in other events slowed down in their heats or swam fast in the prelims and scratched themselves for the final to allow more swimmers to qualify for the US Olympic Team. Ultimately, coach Robert Kiphuth did hold a time trial shortly after the actual trials with eleven of the swimmers. This time trial had
Jimmy McLane James Price McLane Jr. (September 13, 1930 – December 13, 2020) was an American competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and a world record-holder. Biography Representing the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, Engla ...
as first overall with a time of 2:11.0, Bill Smith and
Wally Wolf Wallace "Wally" Perry Wolf Jr. (October 2, 1930 – March 12, 1997) was an American competition swimmer, water polo player, and Olympic champion. He competed in the 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960 Summer Olympics. Personal Wolf was born in Los A ...
in 2:11.2, and Wally Ris in 2:12.4. This quartet was used for the Olympic final. The next four- Eugene Rogers in 2:14.2, Edwin Gilbert in 2:15.4, Robert Gibe in 2:15.6, and William Dudley in 2:15.9, were used in the Olympic prelims. The next three swimmers-
Joe Verdeur Joseph Thomas Verdeur (March 7, 1926 – August 6, 1991) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Career Verdeur was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had a sister, Theresa, and a brother, Edwa ...
who came in 2:16.3, Alan Ford in 2;16.4 and George Hoogerhyde in 2:17.4 were not used in any capacity in the 4x200 freestyle relay. In individual competition, he won a second gold in the men's 100-meter freestyle (57.3), finishing a half-second ahead of U.S. teammate Alan Ford (57.8). Ris was a star swimmer at Crane Technical High in Chicago. He then attended the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
, where he was a member of the Iowa Beta chapter of
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon (), commonly known as SAE, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is t ...
and swam for the
Iowa Hawkeyes The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 22 sports, 8 for men and 14 for women; a 15th women's sport will be added in 2023. The teams partici ...
swimming and diving team in
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
(NCAA) and
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
competition from 1947 to 1949. He was the NCAA national champion in the 100-yard freestyle in 1948 and 1949.http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/iowa/sports/c-swim/auto_pdf/allamericans.pdf Ris 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 1966. He was born in
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
and died in
Mission Viejo, California Mission Viejo ( ; corruption of ''Misión Vieja'', Spanish for "Old Mission") is a commuter city in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California, United States. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities eve ...
.


See also

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List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame 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 a ...
*
List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games This is a list of athletes who have won multiple gold medals at a single Olympic Games. List of most gold medals won at a single Olympic Games This is a list of most gold medals won in a single Olympic Games. Medals won in the 1906 Intercalated Ga ...
*
List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men) This is the complete list of men's Olympic medalists in swimming. Men's events 50 metre freestyle 100 metre freestyle 200 metre freestyle 400 metre freestyle 800 metre freestyle 1500 metre freestyle 100 metre backstroke 200 metre ...
*
List of University of Iowa people This list of University of Iowa alumni includes notable current and former students of the University of Iowa. Academia * Michael J. Budds, Musicologist and professor at the University of Missouri School of Music, inducted into the Missour ...
*
World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...


References


External links

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Des Mines Register online: '48 Olympics champ Ris into 'Hall'

Chicago Tribune: Walter Ris, Swimmer Who Won Olympic Gold (obituary)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ris, Wally 1924 births 1989 deaths American male freestyle swimmers World record setters in swimming Iowa Hawkeyes men's swimmers Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Swimmers from Chicago Swimmers at the 1948 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics