Sharon Finneran

[3] After moving to South Florida, she swam with the Coral Gables Swimming Association, where at 12 she broke a National age group record in the 100-meter butterfly with a 1:30.0 at Oak Ridge Tennessee, in August, 1958.[6] Aware that the top swimming programs were in California, Sharon's mother Carolyn moved her and her five siblings to Los Angeles in January 1962.Sharon began swimming for the Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) under Hall of Fame Head Coach Peter Daland.[9][10] In February 1964, likely anticipating Olympic competition that summer, she represented the Santa Clara Swim Club, and broke the American record in the 400-yard individual medley with a 4:47.1.Finneran received a silver medal for her second-place finish in the women's 400-meter individual medley – completing an all-American sweep of the event with Donna de Varona and Martha Randall.[16] She worked as a Dental Hygienist after college, and by 1980 was a permanent resident of Santa Clara, where she would stay busy taking care of her family of five children with husband Bob Rittenhouse, a commercial insurance broker.[5] Recognizing her world records in diverse events, and her 1964 Olympic silver medal, in 1981 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Sharon, far left, age 11
Coach Peter Daland '64
(l to r) M. Randall, D. de Varona, S. Finneran at 1964 Olympic Trials
Rockville Centre, New YorkSwimmingIndividual medleyButterflyLA Athletic ClubSanta Clara Swim ClubPeter DalandGeorge HainesOlympic Games1964 Tokyo400 m medleyPan American Games1963 São Paulo400 m freestyleswimmerJohn Marshall High SchoolSanta Clara High SchoolDonna DeVarona1964 Summer Olympicswomen's 400-meter individual medleyDonna de VaronaMartha Randallwater poloMike Finneranspringboard1972 Summer OlympicsAriel Rittenhouse2008 Summer OlympicsInternational Swimming Hall of FameList of members of the International Swimming Hall of FameList of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)World record progression 200 metres butterflyWorld record progression 400 metres individual medleyWorld record progression 800 metres freestyleSanta Cruz SentinelSt. Petersburg TimesThe Courier-JournalPress-TelegramStockton RecordOakland TribuneChicago TribuneMallon, BillSports Reference LLCLos Angeles TimesWomen's 400-meter individual medleyworld record-holder (long course)1964 USA Olympic swimming teamWayne AndersonMike AustinBob BennettSteve ClarkBill CraigGary DilleyBill FarleyJed GraefGary IlmanChet JastremskiVirgil LukenDavid LyonsThompson MannRichard McGeaghBill MettlerJohn NelsonWalter RichardsonPhilip RikerCarl RobieDick RothRoy SaariFred SchmidtDon SchollanderLary SchulhofEd TownsendTom TretheweyMichael WallLynne AllsupErika BrickerGinny DuenkelKathy EllisCathy FergusonCynthia GoyetteJeanne HallockNina HarmerTammy HazletonClaudia KolbSandra NittaSusan PittMarilyn RamenofskyJudy ReederPatience ShermanTerri SticklesSharon StouderLillian WatsonJames CounsilmanPan American Champions in Women's 400 m freestyleAna María SchultzBeth WhittallChris von SaltzaDebbie MeyerAnn SimmonsKathy HeddyCynthia WoodheadTiffany CohenBrooke BennettKaitlin SandenoElizabeth HillGillian RyanEmily OverholtDelfina PignatielloPaige Madden