400 metres Individual Medley, Women

Donna de Varona had competed at the 1960 Olympics when she was only 13-years-old. But even at that age she held the world record in the 400 individual medley, which was not an Olympic event in 1960. Over the next four years she became the best swimmer in the world, and set five more world records in this event, and eight in the 200 IM, as well as one 100 backstroke world record in 1963. She came to Tokyo as a clear favorite in this new Olympic event, and did not disappoint. In the final she took the lead at 100 metres, and kept pouring it on. Sharon Finneran had twice interrupted de Varona’s world record streak in the 400 IM, setting world records in Osaka, Japan on 26 and 28 July 1962. But she was no match in Tokyo for de Varona, although she won the silver medal, but Finneran was almost six seconds back. Martha Randall came up for third to complete an American sweep.