The 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. While eight different countries won swimming medals, the events were dominated by the American men and the East German women. My autographs of these medalists are found below.
Cheryl Gibson was a tremendous all-around swimmer that was one of the top medley competitors in the world. She won the 1976 Silver medal in the 400 meter Individual Medley behind the controversial East German swimmer Ulrike Tauber. Gibson won Gold medals in both the 1978 and 1982 Commonwealth Games, plus made the podium at the Pan-American Games and World Aquatic Championships.
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Nancy Garapick - Canada
Nancy Garapick roared into the 1976 Montreal Olympics at the age of 14 having already established a World Record in the 200 meter backstroke at the age of 13. She won Bronze medals in both the 100 and 200 meter backstroke events in the Olympics, finishing only behind two East German swimmers that later were involved in doping scandals. She also won several medals in the World Championships and Pan American Games in the backstroke and butterfly.
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Wendy Weinberg - United States
Most swimmers can be classified as distance swimmers or sprinters. Wendy Weinberg did it all. She won the Bronze medal in the 800 meter freestyle in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. In 1975, she won the Gold medal in the same event at the Pan American Games. In the Univesiade and Maccabiah Games, she won titles in events ranging from butterfly to freestyle, and from 100 meters to 800 meters. Weinberg went on to be one of the top physical therapists in the United States.