Elaine Tanner facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | "Mighty Mouse" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 22, 1951 Vancouver, British Columbia |
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| Height | 1.60 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 61 kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke, butterfly, freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Pacific Dolphins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Elaine Tanner-Watt, OC (born February 22, 1951) is a Canadian former competition swimmer. Triple Olympic Medalist, and former world record-holder in 5 events.
Contents
Career
Elaine Tanner, nicknamed "Mighty Mouse" due to her small stature (barely five feet tall) and competitive drive, had a significant impact on Canadian swimming and is considered one of the top performers in the sport.
At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, Tanner made history by becoming the first woman to ever win four gold medals at Commonwealth Games and the first person to get seven medals at those Games. In 1966, Tanner won the Lou Marsh Trophy, becoming the youngest recipient of the award. She was also selected as the country's top athlete overall.
The following year, at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Tanner continued her success by winning two gold and three silver medals, while also breaking two world records. As a heavy medal favorite, Tanner arrived at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where she won three Olympic medals: two individual silver medals and one relay bronze. However, the media perceived her lack of gold medals as a disappointment, leading Tanner to suffer from depression and retire from competition at the age of 18 after the 1968 Olympics.
Despite being Canadian, Tanner also won the ASA National British Championships in the 110 yards butterfly event in 1965.
Awards and accolades
In 1969, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. The Elaine Tanner Award has been presented to Canada's top junior female athletes since 1972.
Personal life
Following the games, Tanner became depressed, developed a serious eating disorder and suffered anxiety attacks. By 1988 she was jobless and living off her car.
She came back to life after meeting former lifeguard John Watt. The couple married and now resides in White Rock, British Columbia. They have a charity organization, Team Underdog.
Tanner has two children from her first marriage, which ended in divorce in 1980.
See also
In Spanish: Elaine Tanner para niños
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- World record progression 100 metres backstroke
- World record progression 200 metres backstroke
