Wally O'Connor

O'Connor swam and played Water Polo for Stanford University from 1920-1923, under Head Coach Ernst Brandsten. He captained Stanford's Water Polo team in 1923 and was the only Stanford athlete to ever participate in four Olympics. He helped lead Stanford to Pacific Athletic Conference-8 championships in all four years of his participation, which included 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923. and then was as Captain of the Los Angeles Athletic Club Water Polo Team in 1931, 33, 34, 35, and 36. While training with the Los Angeles Athletic Club, he was coached primarily by Clyde Swendsen in water polo and in swimming by Fred Cady. == 4 Olympics; 1924-1936 ==

1924 Paris Olympics In team sport at the 1924 Summer Olympics, O'Connor won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay, together with teammates Ralph Breyer, Harrison Glancy and Johnny Weissmuller. Playing with the 1924 U.S. national water polo team O'Connor also won a bronze medal, playing one match. At the 1932 Summer Olympics the U.S. Water Polo team won a bronze medal. O'Connor played all four matches. Having tied with the team from Germany on points scored, the U.S. received the bronze medal due to goal difference. The win marked U.S. team's first Olympic medal in water polo at a U.S. location, and helped give greater visibility to the sport among American audiences. 1936 Berlin Olympics At the 1936 Summer Olympics, playing with the Los Angeles Athletic Club, the U.S. Water Polo team won one match and lost two matches in the preliminary group of the tournament. O'Connor played all three matches. He was honored as the national flag bearer at the opening ceremonies. == Honors ==

In 1976, he was among the first 25 Charter Members inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame. He was also elected to the Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, and the prestigious International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1966. ==See also==