Scott Leary

Scott Leary
Leary circa 1906
Personal information
Full nameJohn Scott Leary
National teamUnited States
Born(1881-12-29)December 29, 1881
Shasta, California
DiedJuly 1, 1958(1958-07-01) (aged 76)
San Francisco, California
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubOlympic Club
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1904 St. Louis 50 yd freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1904 St. Louis 100 yd freestyle

John Scott Leary (December 29, 1881 – July 1, 1958) was an American freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri. He won a silver medal in the 50-yard freestyle and a bronze medal in the 100-yard freestyle.[1]

In June 1901, the San Francisco Call reported that Leary had set a new world record in the 50 yard dash with a time of 29.2 seconds, [2] though it seems probable English swimmer John Derbyshire had already eclipsed that time. In January 1906, the Call reported he had set a new American amateur record in that distance with the time of 26.2, 0.4 seconds faster than the previous record set by J.W. Lawrence in 1905.[3]

In August 1901, the Call reported that Leary had set a new American record in the 100 yard swim by 1:03.5, besting the prior record by 2.5 seconds.[4] In July 1905, it reported he had a set new world record in the event at one minute flat, an improvement of 2.8 seconds on the prior world record.[5]

Leary was later a starting official for swim events.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Scott Leary". Olympedia. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  2. ^ (13 June 1901). Scott Leary Breaks the World's Swimming Record for Fifty Yards, The San Francisco Call
  3. ^ (13 January 1906). J. Scott Leary Lowers Another Swimming Mark, The San Francisco Call
  4. ^ (24 August 1901). Wins Race and Breaks Record, The San Francisco Call
  5. ^ (19 July 1905). Leary Breaks World Record, The San Francisco Call
  6. ^ (28 June 1913). Record Holder Will Be Starter At Sutro Swims, The San Francisco Call
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