COPENHAGEN, Denmark, December 12. LEGENDARY Danish swimmer Ragnhild Hveger has passed away at the age of 90, according to the Washington Post.
Hveger, who set world records on 44 different occasions, earned an Olympic silver medal in the women's 400 freestyle event at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The only person faster than her that year was Holland's Rie Mastenbroek. Hveger also finished seventh in the women's 400 free relay that year at 15 years old.
Hveger is widely known as one of the top swimmers with bad timing, as the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were not staged due to World War II. She would have been in her prime during the 1940 event, and likely still had something in the tank for 1944. She did, however, make a comeback at the age of 31, making the Danish squad for the 1952 Olympics. She took fifth in the 400 freestyle, and helped her team to fourth in the 400 free relay.
Full text of Washington Post article.