Kim Peyton

Kim Peyton made her Olympic début in 1972 when she swam in the heats of the freestyle relay. Four years later, in Montréal, she won a gold medal in this event in addition to placing fourth in the 100m freestyle. For Kim Peyton, then an incoming freshman at Stanford, the 1976 Olympic relay was the highlight of her career. After a series of losses to the East Germans, the freestyle relay was America’s last chance for a gold medal in women’s swimming at the Montréal Games; with Peyton swimming the lead-off stage, the U.S. at last defeated the East Germans and took a full three seconds off the world record. At the Pan-American Games, she won the 100m and 200m freestyle in 1971 and, after defending her 200m title in 1975, won two more Pan-American golds as a member of the two relay teams. Peyton also won four AAU titles. She died quite young from a brain tumor before she turned 30-years-old.