Born: 1951 (Tacoma, Washington)
Kaye Marie Hall (born May 15, 1951), later known by her married name Kaye Greff, is an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two events. Hall was born in Tacoma, Washington, and attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Tacoma. She trained with the Tacoma Swim Club under the guidance of coach Dick Hannula.
Hall made her international debut at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, where she won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke, finishing behind Canadian gold medalist Elaine Tanner. In December 1967, she achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first woman to swim the 100-yard backstroke in under one minute.
During her early years in Tacoma, Hall was enrolled in the YWCA with her sister, while her brothers took swimming lessons at the YMCA. Because of her exceptional talent, at the age of eight, she was placed in the advanced swimming lessons with the boys at the YMCA. At that time, opportunities for women in swimming were limited, and there were no high school or college swimming teams available for women. Hall consequently swam for clubs, such as the Tacoma Swim Club, which allowed her to compete in swim meets across Canada. It was during these meets that she first encountered her long-time rival, Elaine Tanner.
At the age of 17, Hall represented the United States at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where she won two gold medals and a bronze medal. She started by contributing to the U.S. team’s victory in the women’s 4×100-meter medley relay, swimming the lead-off backstroke leg. The team set a new Olympic record of 4:28.3, with Hall’s exceptional performance playing a vital role. She then went on to win a second gold medal in individual competition for the women’s 100-meter backstroke, setting a new world record of 1:06.2 and beating her rival Elaine Tanner by half a second. Additionally, Hall claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 200-meter backstroke.
Following the Olympics, Hall enrolled at the University of Puget Sound and continued to swim for the Tacoma Swim Club under the guidance of coach Dick Hannula. In 1970, at the World University Games held in Turin, Italy, she won three gold medals in the 100-meter backstroke, as well as the 4×100-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter medley relays. Hall retired from competitive swimming later that year.
For her remarkable achievements, Hall was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in 1979. She is also a member of both the Puget Sound University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Washington State Sports Hall of Fame.
Awards:
– Olympic Gold Medalist, women’s 4×100-meter medley relay (1968)
– Olympic Gold Medalist, women’s 100-meter backstroke (1968)
– Olympic Bronze Medalist, women’s 200-meter backstroke (1968)
– World Record Holder, women’s 100-meter backstroke (1968)
– Gold Medalist, 100-meter backstroke, World University Games (1970)
– Gold Medalist, 4×100-meter freestyle relay, World University Games (1970)
– Gold Medalist, 4×100-meter medley relay, World University Games (1970)