Thompson Mann facts for kids
Mann (right) at the 1964 Olympics
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
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| Born | December 1, 1942 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Died | April 4, 2019 (aged 76) | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) | ||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke | ||||||||||
| Club | North Carolina Athletic Club | ||||||||||
| College team | University of North Carolina | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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Harold Thompson Mann (born December 1, 1942 – died April 4, 2019) was an amazing American swimmer. He was an Olympic champion and even held world records! At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, he won a gold medal. He was part of the winning U.S. team in the 4×100-meter medley relay race.
Thompson Mann swam the first part of the race, which was the backstroke leg. His teammates were Bill Craig (breaststroke), Fred Schmidt (butterfly), and Steve Clark (freestyle). Together, they set a new world record for the relay! Thompson Mann also set his own individual world record for the 100-meter backstroke during his part of the relay. He was later honored by being put into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1984.
Who Was Thompson Mann?
Thompson Mann was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in the United States. He went to Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. He graduated in 1960 and was even the senior class president! After high school, he swam for the University of North Carolina.
Olympic Gold and World Records
Thompson Mann's biggest moment came at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He was chosen to swim for the United States in the 4×100-meter medley relay. This race involves four swimmers, each doing a different swimming style. Thompson Mann swam the backstroke part.
His team, with Bill Craig, Fred Schmidt, and Steve Clark, was incredibly fast. They finished the race in 3 minutes and 58.4 seconds. This was a brand new world record! What's even more amazing is that Thompson Mann's first leg of the race was so fast, he also set a new world record for the 100-meter backstroke by himself, with a time of 59.6 seconds.
Later Achievements
After the Olympics, Thompson Mann continued to be a top swimmer. In 1965, he won national titles in both the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke races. He set another American record for the 100-yard distance.
Because of his amazing career, Thompson Mann was recognized in two important halls of fame. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1984. A few years later, in 1988, he was also added to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
- List of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Olympians
- World record progression 100 metres backstroke
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay
