Jane Barkman

Did You Know?

• Barkman's earliest coaches included Bob Fitzgerald, who mentored her at age six, and Bill Taylor, who worked with her from ages seven to eleven.
• At the 1967 Middle Atlantic AAU Swimming Championships, she set a record of 5:21.7 in the 500-yard freestyle and also won the 100-yard freestyle and the 400-yard freestyle relay.
• She served as a Tri-Captain of the 1972 Olympic team and was a Torchbearer en route to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

68 Olympic medalist

Preparing for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Barkman trained four hours daily Monday through Friday and three hours on Saturday, plus pully weights at home. At the Olympic trials in Los Angeles Stadium, she was seeded first in her event but finished fourth in the 100-meter freestyle, still qualifying for the event and relays; she also qualified in the 200-meter freestyle. In the finals, she won a gold medal on the women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay with Linda Gustavson, Sue Pedersen, and Jan Henne, setting an Olympic record of 4:02.5. Individually, she earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter freestyle, finishing behind Debbie Meyer and Jan Henne in an American sweep.