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Margaret Hoffman

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Margaret Hoffman
Margaret Hoffman in 1932[1]
Personal information
Full nameMargaret Hoffman
Nickname"Peg"
National team United States
Born(1911-06-19)June 19, 1911
Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
DiedMarch 25, 1991(1991-03-25) (aged 79)
Education
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBreaststroke
ClubScranton Swimming Association

Margaret Hoffman (June 19, 1911 – March 25, 1991) was an American competition swimmer who represented the United States at the 1928 Summer Olympics and 1932 Summer Olympics.[2]

Biography

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Margaret Hoffman was born on 19 June 1911, in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, to Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Hoffman.[3][4]

Hoffman was described as having a "natural athletic ability", being picked in late 1927 as a student with "good free style prospect" by the Scranton Swimming Association. In 1928, she was selected to compete in the Middle Atlantic championships in Philadelphia, winning the heat, in her first breaststroke race, and setting a meet record. She lost by a "slight margin" in the final.[5]

The same year she would compete in the 1928 Summer Olympics finishing third in her first heat, and fifth in the final of the women's 200-metet breaststroke event. She was the only American point winner in the event at Amsterdam.[5]

Four years later Hoffman competed in the Los Angelis games while at the same time completing her studies at Mount Holyoke College.[6] She won both the first and third trials of the 200-meter breaststroke, setting a new American record of 3:12:3 in the process.[7][6] However she would go one to finish fifth in the final.[8]

After completing her undergraduate degree she received a masters from Temple University. In later life, she chaired Physical Education at the Wyoming Seminary, before becoming a mathematics teacher at the Shipley school. She died on 25 March 1991.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Fair Olympic Girls Who'll Splash for U.S." The Decatur Daily. July 28, 1932. p. 6. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "Margaret HOFFMAN - Olympic Swimming | United States of America". International Olympic Committee. June 14, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  3. ^ "Swimming Star Exchange Guest". The Times Leader. August 29, 1928. p. 14. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Obituaries". Indiana Gazette. March 26, 1991. p. 17. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Coach of Miss Hoffman Tells of her Early Career". Transcript-Telegram. August 11, 1932. p. 6. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Miss Hoffman sets a new Record". Transcript-Telegram. July 16, 1932. p. 5.
  7. ^ Powers, Jimmy (July 16, 1932). "Mermaids Thrill 45,000! Margret Hoffman Breaks U.S. Breast Stroke Mark". Daily News. p. 75. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  8. ^ "Kingston Girl Tells of Olympic "Grind"". The Times Leader. November 25, 1932. p. 3. Retrieved September 5, 2023.