Legendary U.S. Relay Set for International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction; Foursome Achieved the Impossible
The 59th annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held Oct. 4-5 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As part of the festivities, the 1976 Team USA women’s 400 freestyle relay will be inducted.
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The 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal featured a pair of dominant team performances. There was the excellence of the American men, who claimed victory in 12 of the 13 events, and produced four podium sweeps. There was also the dominance of the women from the German Democratic Republic, who won 11 of the 13 events.
There was a distinct difference in how the U.S. men and East German women arrived at their success, however. While the American onslaught was fueled by hard work and pure talent, East Germany benefited – as official records eventually revealed – from a systematic-doping program.
Despite the illicit approach by the GDR, one U.S. women’s relay was not going to be denied.
When the 400-meter freestyle relay rolled around as the final women’s event of the Olympic program, few individuals believed Team USA had a chance at the gold medal. After all, East Germany had routed the competition for days, and boasted the gold and silver medalists from the 100 freestyle.
How could the United States possibly contend? It came down to a matter of belief.
The quartet of Kim Peyton, Wendy Boglioli, Jill Sterkel and Shirley Babashoff convinced itself that a magical moment was possible. The athletes were determined to end the competition on a high note.
“At the end of that week, as a team, we said, ‘This is not how this is going to end,’” Boglioli said.
There was a slight surprise when it came time for the relay to begin. Rather than use the unstoppable Kornelia Ender on the anchor leg, East Germany opted to lead off with its biggest star, who raced opposite Peyton. Peyton led off in 56.95, a strong performance, and while Team USA found itself a body length behind after Ender touched in 55.79, the Americans were within striking distance.
On the second leg, Boglioli produced the fastest split of her career by two seconds, going 55.81 to Petra Priemer’s 56.16 split. Although the United States still trailed, the anticipated larger deficit was negated. For Boglioli, who was the bronze medalist in the 100 butterfly earlier in the week, it was the finest effort of her career.
A 15-year-old racing in her first of three Olympiads, Sterkel was given the chore of cutting into the East German lead further. The teenager accomplished her goal, and more, as she posted a split of 55.78, with Andrea Pollack going 56.99. Through 300 meters, the United States was in the lead by .40, with Babashoff facing off with Claudia Hempel on the anchor leg. Initially a dream, the potential of an American victory was real.
Dealing with a week of frustration and unfairness, Babashoff – with four silver medals behind East Germans – was not going to yield the lead. Producing a split of 56.28, against the 56.56 of Hempel, the United States beat East Germany by .68 and established a world record of 3:44.82, breaking the former mark by four seconds. One of the biggest upsets in Olympic history had been registered, and four women demonstrated what belief and teamwork can do.
“We got together before the relay and sat there and did this mental thing where you swim the race over and over, see where you are and the time you want to do,” Babashoff said. “We did the swim over and over in our head. This is how we’re going to win. We’re going to train our brains to make us win.”
They did.