Ex-Quakers swim star remembers Olympic gold

Butterfly specialist medaled in Mexico City, Munich The athletic tradition at Penn is as old as the University itself. But in the 100 year history of Olympic competition only five persons connected to Quakers sports have ever brought home the world's most famous prize - Olympic gold. Elanore Daniel, a 1974 graduate of Penn, is a member of that select group. A stand out swimmer, Daniel was onefourth of the women's 400 meter medley relay team that broke the world record at the 1968 Mexico City Games. She also picked up a silver and bronze in Mexico, and completed an impressive collection with a second bronze in munich four years later. Daniel, who is often called "Ellie", swam recreationally with a local group from childhood. But five years before her triumph, she began the hard training that world-class swimmers must endure. "At 13, I made a serious commitment to be the best I could be," Daniel said. Clearly, that goal was attained. Just a few months after completing high school, she was living in the Olympic Village and racing in the 100 meter and 200 meter butterfly. Daniel performed well individually, losing the gold in the 100 meters by just three-tenths of second to Australia's Lyn McLements and placing third at 200 meters in the event's first Olympic appearance. Her greatest triumph of the Olympiad, however, came when she teamed with Kaye Hall, Catie Ball, and Susan Pederman to win the 400 meter medley relay in 4 minutes, 28.3 seconds. That time was a record in 1968, although it is nearly 12 percent higher than the present mark. As a result of the extreme heat of the Mexican summer, the 1968, Games were delayed until November. This had the effect of delaying Daniel's college matriculation until the fall of 1969. Hailing from the Greater Philadelphia area, the young Olympian found Penn a perfect fit. "It had an excellent academic reputation," Daniel said. "(Philadelphia) was where I had been and I wanted to keep training for the Olympics." Daniel continued to train while at Penn. At the time, the men's swim team was led by George Breen, an experienced coach who had medalled in Melbourne (1956) and Rome (1960). Daniel trained with the men and competed with the women. In 1871-72, Daniel resumed full-time training for the upcoming Games. That meant putting college on the back-burner for a second time. By 1972, Daniel had been overtaken as America's best woman butterflyer by Deena Deardruff. That kept her out of the relay, leaving only the 100 and 200 meter races for her to compete in. Despite times that would have earned gold just four years before, the Quakers star had a sole bronze medal in the 200 to show for the Munich Olympiad. Before returning to Penn and ending her swimming career, Daniel received a rare opportunity to visit the People's Republic of China. "I was invited with a few other swimmers in June of '73 and it was arranged with the State Department and with the country," Daniel said. She and other world-class swimmers visited many parts of China, as part of China's opening to the West that had begun the year before. The Americans had interpreters to facilitate the national tour, which was typically a technical exhibition in front of massive crowds. Once the trip had ended, Caniel ended her competitive swimming career, a career that had taken her to Asia, South America and Europe. She completed her Penn degree in 1974. Now a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles, Daniel still sees other Olympians on occasion through the Southern California chapter of the Olyumpian Society, a group that does charity work. "Hopefully, we can motivate somebody to pursue his or her dreams, to be the best he or she can be," Daniel said. Although Daniel was seen on TV back in the U.S., she never became an Olympic celebrity. Indeed, she calls the satisfaction of setting a goal and reaching it the lasting result of her swimming career. While the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games are often remembered only for the political strife surrounding Americans in the former and tragic terrorist activity of the latter, Ellie Daniel can boast something weightier. Four medals.