Ernestine Lebrun

Ernestine Lebrun made her international swimming début for France at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, where she was eliminated in the opening rounds of both the 100 and 300 metres freestyle events. She had similar results four years later, at the Paris Games, with the 400 metres replacing the 300 metres. She was also fifth that year with the French team in the 4x100 metres freestyle relay, alongside Gilberte Mortier, Bienna Pélégry, and Mariette Protin. She was much more successful domestically, winning 12 national championships between 1921 and 1925 in the 50, 100, 400, and 1000 metres freestyle competitions. She twice held the French women’s 400 metres freestyle record, from 1921 through 1923 and again from 1924 through 1926. She also won the women’s Traversée de Paris à la nage in 1924 and 1925, and was runner up in 1923. When she died on May 6, 2005, at the age of 99, she was the last known survivor from the 1920 Antwerp Games.