Molly Botkin and Jeff Farrell (right) at the 1960 Olympics
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Felix Jeffery Farrell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname(s) | "Jeff" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Detroit, Michigan |
February 28, 1937 ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 70 kg (150 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Santa Barbara Swim Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
College team | Yale University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Felix Jeffrey Farrell (born February 28, 1937) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in multiple relay events.
Farrell won a gold medal in the men's 100-meter freestyle at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago. In 1960, six days after having an appendectomy, Farrell qualified at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where he received gold medals as a member of the winning U.S. teams in the 4×100-meter medley relay and the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
Farrell is a multiple United States Masters Swimming world-record holder, and has held the fastest national times in his age group in dozens of events over past decades. He was photographed for and featured in ESPN's "The Body" issue in 2010.
Farrell was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968, and the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in 2011. He is the only swimmer to be inducted in both halls.
Farrell is still swimming recreationally. He was setting world records for Masters Swimming up until 2011. He has written a book about his Olympic experiences titled My Olympic Story, Rome 1960.
He lives in Montecito, Santa Barbara, California with his wife. He has two adult children and one grandchild. He continues to sell real estate with Coldwell Banker in the Santa Barbara Area.