Wendy Weinberg Weil

1973 Maccabiah Games Tel Aviv

Gold medal - 800m Free

Gold Medal - 800m Free

Silver Medal - 800m Free

1975 Pan American Games/Mexico City

Gold Medal - 800m Free

1976 Olympics

Gold Medal - 800m Free/8:42:60

World Record

Olympic Record

“When Wendy Weinberg was two years old she was fascinated by the water in her grandparent’s pool. They let her get wet, splash around swimming…” wrote John Steadman in The News-American, July 21, 1976, five days before Wendy surprised the world.

Wendy progressed from learning to swim with Larry Peacock to “Y” swimming at Towson when she was a first grader, to swimming with North Baltimore as a ten year old and finally as a young teen preparing for an international future with Frank Comfort at John Hopkins Homewood Aquatic Club. Wendy broke National “Y” Records, South Atlantic Records and at fifteen was the star of the Eighth Maccabiah Games in 1973 in Tel Aviv winning four Gold and three Silver Medals. In 1975 Wendy continued up the competitive ladder with a win in the 800 meter Free at the Pan American Games in Mexico City.

On July 26, 1976, Bill Tanton of The Evening Sun wrote, “Baltimore? People in the press section were saying: how did Baltimore come up with a medal winning swimmer? American swimmers are supposed to come from California.” In truth, Baltimore had not produced any Olympic swimmers since 1932 with Ray Thompson’s 100 Free swim and no one had ever won a medal.

Well, at 7:00 p.m. on July 25 Wendy made Maryland swimming history her own. In the early part of her race she was fourth but her ability to “negative” enabled her to swim away from the rest of the field and finish in 8:42.60 under both the Olympic and World Records up to the Games.

After her race Wendy wrote for the paper, “I am pleased for my city, my state, my country, my parents, my grandparents, my coaches and my friends…the moment I will long treasure was receiving the bronze medal….you have to experience it to know what it means.”

Wendy went on to swim at University of Virginia. She was recently featured in Fitness Swimmer magazine. Who knows what the future may hold.

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Wendy Weinberg Weil