Paul Neumann (swimmer)
Encyclopedia
Paul Neumann was an Austria
n swimmer and physician, who competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
in Athens
and became the first Austrian gold medalist ever.
. He competed in the 500 and 1,200 metres freestyle
events. He won the 500 with a time of 8:12.6, benefitting from the withdrawal of Alfréd Hajós
from the event. Hajós had just won the 100 metres, and skipped the 500 in order to prepare for the 1,200. Neumann had no opportunity to rest between the 500 and the 1,200. As a result, he was unable to finish the longer race.
In 1897, he set world records at 2, 3, 4, and 5 miles.
He immigrated to the U.S. after the 1896 Olympic Games. There, he became a physician, and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n swimmer and physician, who competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and became the first Austrian gold medalist ever.
Biography
Neumann was Jewish, and born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. He competed in the 500 and 1,200 metres freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
events. He won the 500 with a time of 8:12.6, benefitting from the withdrawal of Alfréd Hajós
Alfréd Hajós
Alfréd Hajós was a Hungarian swimmer and architect. He was the first modern Olympic swimming champion and the first Olympic champion of Hungary.-Biography:...
from the event. Hajós had just won the 100 metres, and skipped the 500 in order to prepare for the 1,200. Neumann had no opportunity to rest between the 500 and the 1,200. As a result, he was unable to finish the longer race.
In 1897, he set world records at 2, 3, 4, and 5 miles.
He immigrated to the U.S. after the 1896 Olympic Games. There, he became a physician, and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy.