Carin Cone
Carin Alice Cone, also known by her married name Carin Cone Vanderbush after 1962, was an American competition swimmer for the University of Houston's Shamrock Club, a 1956 Olympic silver medalist, and a former world record-holder in multiple events.
Cone was born on April 18, 1940, to Luther Raymond and Ruth Cone, a school teacher, and attended Ridgewood High School, graduating in 1958. Having learned to swim at five, her mother enrolled her at New York's Women's Swimming Association at nine where she was coached by Marie Giardine. An outstanding program with a long history of national champions, and Olympic participants, Charlotte Epstein founded the WSA in the 1920's. Cone won her first Junior National title at the age of 13. An exceptional high school student, with high test scores reflecting academic potential, Cone graduated with honors despite missing a third of her senior year to attend the Olympics. She received the Student Council Award for scholastic achievement in her Senior year.
In July 1956, Cone set an AAU, American and World Record time of 2:43.8 in the 200-meter backstroke breaking the 1951 former world record set by Judit Temes of Hungary.
1956 Olympic silver medal
She competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, where she won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke, having the same time as British swimmer Judy Grinham who was later judged as the gold medal winner.In the event finals, Cone, the only American to medal, and both Judith Grinhim and Margaret Edwards of Great Britain appeared to touch the wall simultaneously with the timers giving Grinham and Cone a dead heat tie in world record time. Since a tie was not possible according to the rules, the decision for first place was made by a jury and, after deliberating, the majority of the judges named British swimmer Grinham as the Olympic gold medalist. Cone was given the silver medal as she had tied with Grinhim in the official scoring initially which used observation, timers, and photography.
University of Houston
Cone attended the University of Houston from around 1958-1960. She made Dean's list as a Freshman, studying up to 40 hours a week. Her swim training included up to 25 hours in the pool beginning at 6 AM, and she trained an average of two-three miles daily.Although there was no official women's swimming team at the time, she was coached and managed by Phil Hansel, who was hired as the University's first coach in 1957, and helped train Cone in 1959. In the years when Houston had no varsity team from 1957-1971, Hansel coached two swim clubs affiliated with the University. A former swimmer for Purdue University, and Portland's Multinomah Athletic Club, Hansel managed swimming for the University of Houston from 1957-1996. From 1958-1968 when the University had no formal varsity team, Hansel coached the Shamrock Hilton Club for which Cone competed while in Houston. In 1959, the University of Houston swim club finished second at the AAU National Championships.
After ending her swimming career, Cone later graduated from the University of Maryland in June 1962.
Competition highlights
In international competition, Cone captured two gold medals at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago.Continuing to excel after the 1956 Olympics, many consider 1959 the most accomplished year of her swimming career. Early in 1959, she won both women's backstroke titles at the American Athletic Union Indoor meet. Cone broke the world record in the 220 yard backstroke with a 2:37.9 defeating defending champion Chris Von Saltza at the National AAU Women's Swimming Championships on July 17, 1959. At the 1959 Pan American games in Chicago, Cone captured the 100-meter backstroke title, establishing a new world record of 1:11.4 on the lead off backstroke leg in the medley relay.
Cone set seven backstroke world records during her career. She set ten American records in the short course consisting of the 100-yard, 150-yard and 200-yard backstroke events. She set thirteen American records in the long course in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 220-meter backstroke events and in one relay. Cone retired from competitive swimming in 1960. Between 1955-1959, she was named to five All American teams in swimming.