Carolyn Schuler
Women's 100-meter butterfly winners at 1960 Olympics: Carolyn Schuler (1), Marianne Heemskerk (2) and Jan Andrew (3). | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Carolyn Jane Schuler | |||||||||||||||||
| National team | United States | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | January 5, 1943 San Francisco, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||
| Died | July 22, 2024 (aged 81) | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | |||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 139 lb (63 kg) | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Butterfly | |||||||||||||||||
| Club | Berkeley YMCA | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Carolyn Jane Schuler (January 5, 1943 – July 22, 2024), also known by her married name Carolyn Schuler Jones, was an American competition swimmer, a 1960 Rome Olympic gold medalist in both the 100-meter butterfly and the 4x100-meter medley, and a one-time world record-holder.
Schuler began swimming competitively at the age of 13 and was not recognized in her youth as an outstanding competitor. During most of her competitive career prior to the Olympics, she had rarely won an individual National championship. At a high point in her early career, she was a member of an AAU National Championship team for the Berkeley YMCA, that captured the national AAU medley championship with only a five member team. Showing dominance, they established a new American record for the medley relay at nationals, though Schuler still would hold few if any individual championships in her early career.
Swimming for the Berkeley YMCA in the National Jr. Girls championship, Schuler was part of a medley relay team consisting of Sylvia Ruuska, Mary Lou Elsenius, and Patricia Ruuska that won the 4x100-yard medley relay event in 4:44.8 at the Fresno State College Pool on March 8, 1958. A Berkeley Y team including Schuler, Sylvia and Patricia Ruuska and Ann Bancroft set the National record in the 440-yard freestyle relay with a 4:29.0 in July, 1959, breaking the record of 4:36 set in 1957 by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
At the Far Western Swim Meet in San Francisco, in late August, 1959, she set a world record of 2:38.1 in the 200-meter butterfly, gaining national attention, and beginning speculation about a possible place on the Olympic team the following year.