Death of Helene Madison

Helene Madison died on November 27, 1970, at the age of 57, after a long struggle with illnesses including cancer and diabetes. Her death was reported nationally, including in a notice in the New York Times, which recalled her as the record-setting swimmer and triple Olympic champion of 1932.

By the time of her death, Madison's competitive career had been over for nearly four decades, but her legacy as one of the most dominant swimmers—male or female—of the early 20th century remained firmly intact. She had held as many as 23 world freestyle records at the peak of her career and swept three gold medals at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, a feat that made her the only triple gold medalist across all sports at those Games.

In the years following her athletic retirement, Madison had pursued a brief career in Hollywood films and worked various jobs, experiencing financial difficulties that were not uncommon among amateur athletes of her era who had no professional avenues to capitalize on their fame. Despite these struggles, she remained a celebrated figure in American swimming history.

Her passing prompted renewed recognition of her contributions to the sport, and she was later honored posthumously with induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. Her life and career continue to be studied as a pivotal chapter in the history of women's competitive swimming and the broader story of women's emergence in Olympic sport during the early 20th century.