Walter BRACK

Walter Brack, a swimmer from Berlin, won the gold medal in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 1:16.8. This was the first time the 100 back was swum in Olympic competition as there was no backstroke in 1896 and only a 200 backstroke in 1900. Brack used the underwater recovery style with his arms and legs, similar to the elementary backstroke of today. Brack also competed in the 440 yard breaststroke, and won a silver medal behind fellow teammate, Georg Zacharias, who finished in 7:23.6, and ahead of USA's Jam Handy from Chicago, who later became the last surviving medalist of the 1904 Olympic Games. In 1903 and 1904 Brack was German Champion in the 100 metre backstroke. In 1997 he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.