Jim Montgomery (swimmer)

2.1. Early Life and Background

James Paul Montgomery was born on January 24, 1955, in Madison, Wisconsin, to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Montgomery. He was introduced to competitive swimming around the age of nine, beginning his training at the Madison Central YMCA pool.

2.2. High School and Collegiate Career

During his high school years, Montgomery swam for Madison East High School. By his junior year, he had already established himself as a formidable talent, holding four Wisconsin state freestyle records in the 50, 100, 200, and 400 freestyle events. He was coached by Don Moerke at Madison East. In club swimming, he initially trained under Pat Berry at the Madison Swim Club before switching to the Badger Dolphins the summer before his junior year. He credited his coach at Badger Dolphins, Jack Pettinger, with significantly improving his speed and conditioning.

Montgomery played a pivotal role in leading Madison East to the 1971 Big Eight Conference title. In March 1971, he was voted the most valuable competitor at Madison's City Swimming Banquet. His exceptional performance earned him recognition as the outstanding swimmer in Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Swimming Association in September 1971, where he was also named part of the five-member all-state boys swimming team.

Following his high school success, Montgomery enrolled at Indiana University, where he pursued a major in Business. He continued his swimming career under the tutelage of the renowned Hall of Fame Coach Doc Counsilman for four years. At Indiana, Montgomery achieved significant collegiate honors, including winning the NCAA 200-yard freestyle title and four AAU titles. While at Indiana in 1975, he set two world records in the 100-meter freestyle. Between 1973 and 1976, he was also a member of five world record-breaking relay teams. Recognizing his athletic and academic excellence, Montgomery was presented with the Belfour award in his senior year, an honor for the top student athlete in the Big Ten Conference.

3.1. International Competitions

Montgomery first gained international recognition at the inaugural 1973 World Aquatics Championships held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. There, he demonstrated his dominance in freestyle events by winning an impressive five gold medals: in the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 4x100-meter freestyle relay, 4x200-meter freestyle relay, and 4x100-meter medley relay.

He continued his success at subsequent World Aquatics Championships. At the 1975 World Aquatics Championships in Cali, Colombia, he earned a gold medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the individual 100-meter freestyle. His final World Championships appearance was at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships in Berlin, Germany, where he secured another gold medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay and a silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle.

Beyond pool competitions, Montgomery also participated in several organized open-water swims during his career. These included notable events such as the Maui Channel Swim, the La Jolla Roughwater Swim, the Alcatraz swim, the Chesapeake Bay swim, and France's Race across Saint-Tropez. He achieved multiple age-group wins in the 2.4 mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim.

3.2. 1976 Montreal Olympics

Jim Montgomery's participation in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games was the pinnacle of his competitive career, where he achieved historic feats. Competing during the summer between his junior and senior years of college, Montgomery won a total of four medals.

He secured three gold medals, each with an accompanying Olympic and World record time:

• 100-meter freestyle:** He made history by becoming the first man to break the 50-second barrier in this event, clocking a time of 49.99 seconds.
• 4x200-meter freestyle relay:** Montgomery was part of the gold medal-winning team that also set a new Olympic and World record.
• 4x100-meter medley relay:** As part of this relay team, he earned his third gold medal, again setting an Olympic and World record.

Additionally, Montgomery earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter freestyle event. At the Montreal Olympics, he was coached by his Indiana University mentor, Doc Counsilman, who served as the Olympic Head Coach, and Assistant Olympic Coach Don Gambril, who was specifically assigned to work with Montgomery by Counsilman.

3.3. World Record Achievements

Jim Montgomery's most significant achievement in competitive swimming was his groundbreaking performance at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where he became the first man in history to swim the 100-meter freestyle in under 50 seconds. His time of 49.99 seconds was a monumental feat, previously considered an almost unattainable "human dream" in the sport.

Prior to the Montreal Games, Montgomery had already held the world record in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 50.59 seconds. His record-breaking 49.99 seconds swim at the Olympics further solidified his place in history. However, his new world record was short-lived, as University of Alabama swimmer Jonty Skinner surpassed it by 0.55 seconds just 20 days later at Philadelphia's United States Summer National Swimming Championships.

Between 1973 and 1976, Montgomery was also an integral part of five different world record-breaking relay teams. His distinctive and powerful 8-beat stroke earned him the notable nickname "Human Torpedo," reflecting his speed and efficiency in the water.

4.1. Founding Swim Programs

After concluding his professional swimming career, Jim Montgomery relocated to Dallas, Texas, where he briefly worked in hotel management. In 1981, he channeled his passion for swimming into founding the Dallas Masters swim program. This program later underwent a name change to the Lone Star Masters. By 1990, the program was officially rebranded as Baylor/Lone Star Masters, a change that occurred during Montgomery's tenure as the Aquatics Director at Baylor's Tom Landry Center in Dallas.

Around 1999, Montgomery co-founded the Dallas Aquatic Masters club with Bobby Patten, a fellow coach and former SMU All-American swimmer. This club continued its operations until approximately 2020. Demonstrating his commitment to broader swimming education, Montgomery also began teaching swim lessons in 2007, including specialized classes aimed at helping adults overcome their fear of water.

4.2. Coaching at Greenhill School and Swim School

While actively involved with the Dallas Aquatic Masters, Jim Montgomery concurrently served as the varsity swimming coach at the Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, a position he held from 1999 to 2015. His dedication to coaching at the high school level contributed to the development of numerous young swimmers.

Around 2015, Montgomery decided to expand his coaching endeavors by resigning from Greenhill School to establish his own institution, the Jim Montgomery Swim School. Located on Preston Road in Dallas, this swim school serves as a dedicated facility where he continues to teach and develop swimmers of all ages and skill levels, further cementing his legacy as a prominent figure in the swimming community.

5.1. Hall of Fame Induction

In 1986, Jim Montgomery was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer. This induction recognized his outstanding competitive career, particularly his pioneering achievement as the first man to break the 50-second barrier in the 100-meter freestyle, and his numerous Olympic and World Championship medals.

5.2. USMS Coach of the Year

Montgomery's impact extended beyond his competitive days into his coaching career. In 2002, he was honored as the U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) Coach of the Year. This award highlighted his dedication and success in coaching adult swimming programs, particularly his work with the Dallas Aquatic Masters, and his role in fostering a vibrant swimming community.