Ludy Langer was one of six Hawaii-based swimmers on the men’s Olympic team in 1920. Between them, they won a total of seven medals. He had earned his place on the team for Antwerp when he won the Western Olympic Trials at Alameda, California. Langer scored a triple victory at the AAU championships of 1915 and 1916, winning the 440y, 880y and one mile freestyle in both years. In 1921 he won his seventh AAU title when he beat Johnny Weissmuller in the 440y freestyle, thus contradicting the legend that Weissmuller was unbeaten throughout his career.
Ludy Langer qualified for the cancelled 1916 Olympics too, and it should have been his place to shine. At that time he was still in school at the University of California at Berkeley and was world record holder in the 440y, 880y and the mile. His records were standing until broken by the mentioned Weissmuller.
United States