Forget Tarzan. Before Hollywood cast Johnny Weissmuller as the King of the Jungle, he was already a legend… a legend that has been all but forgotten.….a legend that that created a phenomenon that far outlived his silver-screen alter ego. Johnny Weissmuller was quite simply the greatest swimmer to ever race.
His remarkable raw talent has never been seen in the water since. 51 world records. 52 National Championships.In 1924, Johnny Weissmuller swam in two races that captivated the world. In winning those races, Weissmuller transformed the Olympics into more than a worldwide amateur athletic competition. He made the games into showcase for superstars, a forum that could bring riches and fame on a global scale. Weissmuller: The First Olympian is more than the untold story of how a poor immigrant kid from Chicago became America’s greatest athlete and conquered the world of sports. It is a story of the first international sports phenomenon. It is the story of the moment where talent, the media and money came together to transform the world of amateur athletics forever.