FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1976 gold (400m individual medley), silver (200m butterfly); WORLD RECORDS: 9 (200m, 400m individual medley); WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1975 gold (400m individual medley), silver (200m individual medley); 1978 silver (400m individual medley), bronze (200m individual medley); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1974 gold (200m, 400m individual medley), silver (100m, 200m backstroke); 1977 gold (200m, 400m individual medley); World Swimmer of the Year 1974, 1977.

Dr. Ulrika Tauber was named World Swimmer of the Year in both 1974 and 1977.  Even though it is difficult to compare times historically with the present, we all know the individual medley requires adeptness at all four strokes.  In Ulrika Tauber's case, she broke the 200 individual medley record three times in 1978 and was two seconds ahead of everybody else in the event.  In the 400, she was even farther in front of the world.  Ulrika won the gold in the 200 & 400 I.M. in the 1974 and 1977 European Championships and placed second behind her GDR teammates in the 100m & 200m back (1974).

Dr. Tauber set nine world records and won six Olympic and World Championship medals while studying for medical school.  She retired from swimming to become mother and physician.  Ulrika, who trained at the famed Karl Marx Stadt Swim Club, joins 1988 Barbara Krause and seven previous honorees from the German Democratic Republic in the Hall of Fame.

Doping Disclaimer:  In a German court of law, after this swimmer was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, team officials confessed to administering performance enhancing drugs to this swimmer, who therefore obtained an illegal and unfair advantage over other athletes.  For more information, click here.