The 1988 Summer Olympics were held in Seoul, South Korea. After two Olympics dominated by boycotts, the Seoul Games had most of the top competitors involved, and they came out and starred.
Janet Evans - United States
Member of International Swimming Hall of Fame From 1987-1993, Janet Evans was the greatest freestyle distance swimmer the world has ever known. She dominated every championships in which she competed, including the 1988 Olympics in which she won three Gold Medals. She followed that up with two more medals in Barcelona, and also made the 1996 Olympic team. Between Olympics, World Championships, and Pan Pacific Championships, she won 21 Gold Medals.
On a personal note, these were the autographs that got me started. I was an airman stationed at Beale Air Force Base when I read in the paper an article about Janet Evans going to school at Stanford (which was relatively close). I decided to send an autograph request. I typed up two cards with my old Brother typewriter, and within a week I got the responses you see here. While Janet's autograph isn't rare or valuable, these two are priceless to me! |
Sylvia Poll - Costa Rica
Sylvia (Silvia) Poll was Costa Rica's first Olympic medal winner. She won the 1988 Silver Medal in the 200 meter freestyle. She was also an accomplished backstroker as well, and won nine Pan American Games medals, including Golds in both freestyle and backstroke events. She also competed in the 1992 Olympics, and her sister Claudia represented Costa Rica in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
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Julie McDonald - Australia
Julie McDonald was the biggest rival for USA's Janet Evans in distance freestyle swimming. She won the Bronze in the 800 meter freestyle behind Evans in Seoul, but she defeated Evans in the Pan Pacific Championships in 1987 to win Gold. She was also a Gold Medalist in the Commonwealth Games. Her accomplishments definitely rank her among the best ever.
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