Ris, "Wally" (Walter S.)
Swimming
b. Jan. 4, 1924, Chicago, IL
Ris was trailing with only 10 meters to go in the 1948 Olympic 100-meter freestyle swim when he put on a spectacular surge to win the gold medal. He won a second gold medal on the 4 by 100-meter relay team.
In high school, Ris starred in both football and swimming. The University of Illinois recruited him for football, but World War II intervened.
Ris became a swimming instructor at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station and swam on the statin's 4 by 100-yard relay team, which set a world record of 3:29.1. After the war, he entered the University of Iowa and won the NCAA 100-yard freestyle in 1947 and 1948.
Ris was the AAU outdoor 100-meter freestyle champion in 1947. He won the indoor 100-yard title five years in a row, 1945-49, and was the indoor 220-yard champion in 1946.