Jimmy McLane

Who is Jimmy McLane?

James Price McLane, Jr. is an American former competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.

McLane represented the United States as a 17-year-old at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England, he won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, with teammates Wally Ris, Wally Wolf and Bill Smith. Ris, McLane, Wolf and Smith set a new world record of 8:46.0 in the event final. Individually, he received another gold medal for winning the men's 1,500-meter freestyle, and a silver medal for his second-place finish in the 400-meter freestyle.

Four years later at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, he won another gold medal by swimming the anchor leg for the first-place U.S. team in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, together with relay teammates Wayne Moore, Bill Woolsey and Ford Konno. The Americans set a new Olympic record of 8:31.1 in the final.

McLane graduated from Philips Academy. He attended Yale University, where he swam for the and Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association competition.