Irene Guest

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Irene Guest
Personal information
Full nameIrene May Guest
National teamUnited States
Born(1900-07-22)July 22, 1900
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJune 14, 1970(1970-06-14) (aged 69)
Ocean Gate, New Jersey, U.S.
Height5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubMeadowbrook Club
College teamTemple University[1]
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1920 Antwerp 100 m freestyle

Irene May Guest (July 22, 1900 – June 14, 1970), also known by her married name Irene Loog, was an American competition swimmer, 1920 Olympic champion in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay, and world record-holder.[2]

Early in her swimming career at 17 in April, 1918, while representing the local YMCA she took second place in the Middle Atlanta AAU 220-yard title swim, with a time of 3:14.6.[3]

1920 Olympics

At the 1920 Olympic trails, swimming for Philadelphia's Meadowbrook Club, Guest placed third in the 100-meter freestyle, qualifying for her for the Olympic games.[4]

Travelling with the team, Guest represented the United States as a 19-year-old at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, where she received a pair of medals.[5] She received her first medal in the women's 100-meter freestyle in which she finished second behind fellow American Ethelda Bleibtrey, earning a silver medal with a time of 1:17.0. Though Guest won her preliminary heat in a time of 1:18.8 and made a nearly two-second improvement in the final, she was unable to beat Bleibtrey’s new world record of 1:13.6.[6][5][7]

In the women's 4×100 metres freestyle relay, she won a gold medal with U.S. teammates Bleibtrey, Frances Schroth and Margaret Woodbridge in a new world-record time of 5:11.6.[5][8]

In the Middle Atlantic AAU Diving Championship in Philadelphia in February 1921, while representing the Meadowbrook Athletic Club, Guest swam a 1:09 in the 100 freestyle, defeating frequent rival Elizabeth Becker.[9] At the March 1921 National Women's Indoor championship in New Jersey, Guest took second in the women's 100-yard Open Final.[10]

Guest attended and swam for Temple University in Philadelphia.[1] In 1920, at a meeting of the Temple University Women's Club, she played selected violin pieces.[11] In February, 1921, swimming for the Meadowbrook Athletic Club, guest won the 100-yard freestyle event in a time of 1:09 minutes at the Middle Atlantic AAU Championship, with Elizabeth Beck placing second.[12]

Guest was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "honor pioneer swimmer" in 1990.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Irene Guest (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  2. ^ "Irene Guest". Olympedia. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  3. ^ "Two Title Swims on Coast This Week", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 21 April 1918, pg. 21
  4. ^ "Olympedia, Irene Guest". Olympedia.org. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Irene Guest Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  6. ^ "Olympedia Biography, Irene Guest". olympedia.ogr. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  7. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games, Women's 100 metres Freestyle Final Archived November 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  8. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, United States Swimming at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games Archived November 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  9. ^ "Miss Irene Guest, Olympic Star, Defeats Miss. Becker in 100-yard event", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 6 February 1921, pg. 21
  10. ^ "Miss Wainright Takes National Diving Crown", Press of Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 21 March 1921, pg. 12.
  11. ^ "North Philadelphia", Evening Public Ledger, 9 February 1920, pg. 11
  12. ^ "Armstrong Regains Fancy Title", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 6, 1921, pg. 21
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