Mary Kok
From Openwaterpedia
Mary Kok (born in 1940 in Hilversum) was a Dutch competitive pool swimmer and a professional marathon swimmer in the 1960's and a member of the World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation and later a coach.
Swimming Career Highlights
- Between 1954 and 1957 she set 10 world records from the young age of 15 to 17 years old:
- 440 yard freestyle
- 880 yard freestyle
- 800m freestyle
- 1760 yard freestyle
- 100 yard butterfly
- 100m butterfly
- 400 yard individual medley
- 400m individual medley
- 1 relay
- In 1955, she became the Dutch Sportswoman of the Year at the age of 15.
- She was to swim in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games for the Dutch Olympic Team until the night before she was to depart when the Netherlands boycott the athletic competition to make a statement of Russia's invasion of Hungary
- On 18 August 1960, she became the first Dutch woman to swim the English Channel, crossing in 12 hours 25 minutes.
- In 1980, she was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
External links
- Mary Missed Melbourne, But Made History
- Mary Kok, 1955 Athlete of the Year ceremony video
- International Swimming Hall of Fame biography
- Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games
- Mary Kok Channel Swimming Association
- World Professional Marathon Swimming Federation
- Open Water Swimming
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- WPMSF Led To IMSHOF
