Summary
George Thomas Breen (July 19, 1935 – November 9, 2019) was an American Hall of Fame competition swimmer, four-time Olympic medalist in freestyle events, and world record-holder in three events. After retiring as a swimmer, he became a swim coach at the University of Pennsylvania and later the Jersey Wahoos Swim Club.[1][2]
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| Full name | George Thomas Breen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 19, 1935 Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | November 9, 2019 (aged 84) New Jersey, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 183 lb (83 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Indianapolis Athletic Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Cortland State University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Doc Counsilman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Background edit
Breen was born in Buffalo, New York. He was a champion rower for Bishop Timon High School in Buffalo, and the West Side Rowing Club. He began swimming competitively as a 17-year-old freshman at Cortland State University under coach Doc Counsilman, almost a decade later than many of his future rivals.[1]
1500-meter world record edit
Many consider Breen's most significant single swim time, and greatest single effort, his 1500-meter Long Course World Record of 18:05.9 at the May 3, 1956 U.S. AAU Indoor Championship at Yale, referred to by Ohio State Coach Mike Peppe as “the single most brilliant effort in swimming since I’ve been coaching.” Breen reduced the standing world record by a substantial 13.1 seconds, and incredibly completed his swim a full 1:18, ahead of the second-place finisher, Frank Brunell, who had been an American National Champion many times. No prior swimmer had ever completed an event so far ahead of the second-place finisher in the history of the U.S. Nationals.[1]
World competitor edit
Olympics edit
Breen represented the United States at the November 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. As a member of the second-place U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Breen earned a silver medal, together with Dick Hanley, Bill Woolsey and Ford Konno. He also took bronze medals in the 400-meter freestyle (4:32.5) and men's 1,500-meter freestyle (18:08.2) – after setting a new world record of 17:52.9 in the qualifying heats of the 1,500.[1][2]
Pan American Games edit
At the 1959 Pan American Games, he won a gold medal for his first-place finish in the 400-meter freestyle and a silver as the runner-up in the 1500-meter freestyle. He was elected team captain of the U.S. men for the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, and earned another bronze medal while competing in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle (17:55.9).[1]
Coaching edit
Breen coached the Penn Quakers men's swimming team at the University of Pennsylvania from 1966 until 1982, and served as a coach for U.S. Swimming. He formerly coached for Gloucester County Institute of Technology (Deptford, New Jersey) swim team (now separate from the school, it is known as the Greater Philadelphia Aquatic Club) and at the Jersey Wahoos Swim Club in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.[2][1]
Swimming community edit
He was active in swimming administration, and chaired the USA Swimming Olympic International Operations Committee. He was a member of Middle Atlantic Swimming’s Board of Directors, and also served on the Board of Directors of USA Swimming.[1]
Breen was inducted into the International Swim Hall of Fame, the American Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and the Cortland State Hall of Fame.[1]
Later life and death edit
Breen was a resident of Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, where he coached local high school and club swim teams into his 70s.[3] He was diagnosed with bone cancer of his right middle finger and had to have it amputated. After battling pancreatic cancer for several years, Breen died on November 9, 2019, in New Jersey.[4]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h "George Breen, International Swimming Hall of Fame". International Swimming Hall of Fame. 1975. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
- ^ a b c "Olympic Biography, George Breen". Olympedia. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Pawling, Chris. "Swimming legend George Breen pays visit to local meet", South Jersey Times, January 30, 2012. Accessed November 30, 2017. "Washington Township resident George Breen was in attendance at Saturday’s SJISA Coaches’ Invitational swim meet at the Gloucester County Institute of Technology."
- ^ "George Breen, a Four-Time Olympic Medalist, Dies After Cancer Battle". Swimming World News. 2019-11-10. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
External links edit
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "George Breen". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03.
- George Breen (USA) – Honor Swimmer profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame at the Wayback Machine (archived 2017-02-24)
- George Breen – Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame profile