Galina Prozumenshikova (URS)

Honor Swimmer (1977)

The information on this page was written the year of their induction.

FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1964 gold (200m breaststroke); 1968 silver (100m breaststroke), bronze (200m breaststroke); 1972 silver (100m breaststroke), bronze (200m breaststroke); WORLD RECORDS: 5; EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 3; “Breaststroker of the Year”: 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971.

Galina Prozumenshikova, the old pro of the World breaststrokers, was not the only European gold medal winner at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo but 8 years later with a three year old son, she was still a medalist. At Mexico City, in between her medals at Tokyo and Munich, the altitude took its toll as Galina collapsed after the 200 (3rd) and lost the 100 by .001 to Bjedov of Yugoslavia (2nd). European Championship performances were even more spectacular as Galina won the individual crowns and swam the breaststroke leg to nearly beat the East Germans.