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Dick Hanley (swimmer)

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American swimmer (1936–2022)

Dick Hanley
Hanley at Michigan in 1957.
Personal information
Full nameRichard Dennis Hanley
Nickname"Dick"
National team United States
Born(1936-02-19)February 19, 1936
Evanston, Illinois
DiedMay 11, 2022(2022-05-11) (aged 86)
Skokie, Illinois
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight174 lb (79 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
College teamUniversity of Michigan
CoachGus Stager
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1956 Melbourne 4×200 m freestyle
Representing Michigan
NCAA
Gold medal – first place 1957 Chapel Hill Team title
Gold medal – first place 1957 Chapel Hill 400 yard medley relay
Gold medal – first place 1959 Ithaca Team title
Gold medal – first place 1959 Ithaca 220 yard freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1959 Ithaca 400 yard freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 1959 Ithaca 400 yard medley relay

Richard Dennis Hanley (February 19, 1936 – May 11, 2022) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder.

Early life and swimming

Hanley was born in Evanston, Illinois, on February 19, 1936 to Jane Hunter Hanley and Myron "Mike" Hanley, and attended and swam for the Evanston Township High School "Wildkits", an Illinois swimming dynasty. Competing for Evanston High in February 1954, he qualified for the Suburban League varsity swimming meet in both the 100 and 200-yard freestyle.

As a high school junior in February 1954, he held the record in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 54.8. Swimming the freestyle leg in 1955, he was part of a 150-yard medley relay team that lowered their own interscholastic record to 1:18 in the finals of the Suburban League meet. 

In 1955, at around 18, Hanley also set and held the Illinois state record for the 50-yard freestyle.

Under coach Dobbie Burton, Evanston High won state championships each year from 1952 to 1956 and won 52 straight dual meets over a three-year period.

Swimming for Michigan

He attended the University of Michigan, where he swam for Hall of Fame Coach Gus Stager and was a varsity swimmer for the Michigan Wolverines swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1955 to 1959.

He was a member of the Michigan Wolverines' NCAA national championship teams in the 400-yard medley relay in 1957 and 1959 and the 400-yard freestyle relay in 1959. In the same year, he won an individual NCAA national championship in the 200-yard freestyle.

1956 Melbourne Olympic medal

At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, he received a silver medal for swimming the lead-off leg for the runner-up U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

After college, he continued to swim and trained and competed in Masters Swimming for Evanston Masters. Hanley worked as a professor and swimming coach at the Chicago City Colleges.

He died May 11, 2022 in Skokie, Illinois. He was married to Judy Loftus, had one son, and was a grandfather. He also had a daughter Lindsay from another relationship.

See also

References

  1. "Evanston Tops Qualifiers for League Swim". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. February 13, 1954. pp. 2–4 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Evanston Trio Lowers Own Swim Record". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. February 13, 1955. p. 2-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Prep Swim Records". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. February 25, 1960. p. 5-4 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Record Feats?, Prep Swimmer Have 'Em Too", Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, 4 February 1954, pg. 55
  5. "Team Titles: Evanston (Twp.)". Team Champions and Runners-Up. IHSA. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  6. ^ MGoBlue.com, Men's Swimming & Diving, Michigan Men's Swimming and Diving All-Time NCAA Champions Archived 2017-06-30 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  7. "Hanley Eyes Best swim Year; Tries To Regain Record Form". The Michigan Daily. December 14, 1958. p. 12 – via Bentley Historical Library.
  8. ^ HickokSports.com, Sports History, NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Champions Archived 2002-02-23 at the Library of Congress Web Archives. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  9. ^ "Richard D. Hanley Obituary". www.tributearchive.com. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  10. "Richard Hanley Obituary (1936 - 2022)". Legacy.com. Retrieved June 14, 2023.

External links

1956 USA Olympic swimming team
Men's Team
Women's Team
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