Johnny Weissmuller is a name which means something very different depending on who you ask. To some, he was the most iconic actor to have played Tarzan. To others, he was the world’s greatest swimmer.
Weissmuller didn’t live both lives at the one time. The decision to take up acting only came after he had spent a career in the pool.
Weissmuller went an entire decade without losing a single race. For someone who competed in events ranging from 50 metres to half a mile, it’s a stupendous achievement, one that no-one, not Michael Phelps, nor Mark Spitz, nor any other great swimmer, has come close to matching.
Unsurprisingly, the American broke a host of world records in that career. 67 of them, to be exact.
His Olympic record was almost as dominant. Five golds in the swimming pool across the 1924 and 1928 Games doesn’t exactly stand out today, but given there wasn’t the modern multitude of events available in that era, it’s a fine record.
Throw in a bronze in the water polo for good measure, and you’ve got one of the best Olympians ever.
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Of course, many people associate the name “Weissmuller” with acting and, to be fair, starring in 12 movies as Tarzan and creating the iconic call which almost defines the character is no mean feat.
But even Weissmuller himself seemed to rate his swimming career a little higher than his acting one.
“It was like stealing,” he said. “There was swimming in it, and I didn’t have much to say. How can a guy climb trees, say ‘Me Tarzan, you Jane’, and make a million?”
When you put it like that, the 67 world records and six Olympic medals do seem a little more significant.
Over to you, Alexander Skarsgard.
Be sure to follow The Roar as we look back on some of the most memorable moments in Olympic history – be they weird and wacky or brilliant and significant – and count down the days until the Rio Olympics opening ceremony.