Alan Ford
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Alan Robert•Ford |
| Used name | Alan•Ford |
| Born | 7 December 1923 in Panamá (Panama City), Panamá (PAN) |
| Died | 3 November 2008 in Sarasota, Florida (USA) |
| Measurements | 175 cm / 77 kg |
| Affiliations | Yale Bulldogs, New Haven (USA) |
| NOC |  United States |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 0 |
| Silver | 1 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 1 |
Biography
Alan Ford came from the Canal Zone, and after attending Mercersburg Academy went to Yale. The first of the many highlights of his swim career came in 1943 when he broke Johnny Weissmuller’s 17-year-old world record for the 100y freestyle. The following year he became the first man to swim that distance under 50 seconds, and it was eight years before Dick Cleveland became the second man under that barrier. Ford also broke the 100m freestyle world record twice, won two AAU titles and, after service in the navy, made a comeback to win a silver medal at the 1948 Olympics. In 1944 he became only the third man in history to win three NCAA individual titles in one year.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | USA |
Alan Ford | |||
| 100 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 2 | Silver |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Long Course Swimming (100 m freestyle – 13 April 1944 - 15 September 1947 and 29 June 1948 - 1 April 1954: 55.9 (13 April 1944; New Haven, USA), 55.4 (29 June 1948; New Haven, USA); 4×100 m freestyle relay – 29 June 1948 - 19 March 1951: 3:48.6 (29 June 1948; New Haven, USA))