View source for Jeff Farrell

{{Short description|American swimmer (born 1937)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name           = Jeff Farrell
| image          = Jeff Farrell 1960c.jpg
| image_size     = 
| caption        = Farrell in 1960
| alt            =
| fullname       = Felix Jeffrey Farrell 
| nicknames      = "Jeff"
| national_team  = United States
| strokes        = [[Freestyle swimming|Freestyle]] 
| club           = Wichita Swim Club<br>New Haven Swim Club<br>Santa Barbara Masters 
| collegeteam    = [[University of Oklahoma]]<br>1954-58
| coach          = Bob Timmons<br>(Wichita East High)<br>[[Matthew Mann]]<br>(U. of Oklahoma)<br>[[Robert J. H. Kiphuth|Bob Kiphuth]]<br>(New Haven Masters)
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1937|2|18|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], U.S.
| death_date     = 
| death_place    = 
| height         = {{convert|6|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}}
| weight         = {{convert|70|kg|lb|0}}
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold | [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Rome]] | [[Swimming at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 1960 Rome | [[Swimming at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4x200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1959 Pan American Games|1959 Chicago]] | [[Swimming at the 1959 Pan American Games – Men's 100 metre freestyle|100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 1959 Chicago | [[Swimming at the 1959 Pan American Games – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
}}

'''Felix Jeffrey Farrell''' (born February 18, 1937) is a Hall of Fame American former competition [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]], and a 1960 two-time Olympic gold medalist, where he became a world record-holder in two relay events.    After the Olympics, he worked as a swim coach abroad, and in the 1980s returned to America, living in Santa Barbara, where he worked in real estate.  While training with Santa Barbara Masters, he would break numerous world and national age group records as a Masters competitor between 1981 and 2011.<ref name=ishofprofile/><ref name=KSHOF/><ref name=USMS/>

By 1947, at 10, Jeff swam regularly at the Wichita Country Club, and was competing as a Junior by age 12.<ref name=USMS/><ref>"Safe But Not Quiet Fourth", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 5 July 1947, pg. 5</ref><ref>"Cooling Off Period", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 10 July 1949, pg. 14</ref>

==Swimming for Wichita East High==
In January 1952, while swimming for [[Wichita East High School]], he swam a 58.7 for the 100-yard event, but would continue to lower his time threshold.<ref>"East Swimmers Defeat North", ''The Wichita Beacon'', Wichita, Kanas, 9 Jan 1952, pg. 11</ref>  At the end of February, 1953, Farrell set a new record for the 100-yard freestyle of 56.4, at a State Tournament though Wichita East lost the meet to frequent winner Coffeyville High School.<ref>"Coffeyville Wins State Swim Title", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 1 March 1953, pg. 27</ref>  By February 1953, Farrell had already swum a :56.1 for the 100-yard freestyle in High School competition, bettering the state record of 57.3, though the swim was in a regular dual meet, not in a state tournament.<ref>Jacobs, Henry, ''The Wichita Eagle'', "Coffeyville Rules Choice", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 25 February 1953, pg. 8</ref>

Excelling in events longer than the 100 as he gained endurance in 1954, Jeff tied the National age group record for the 220-yard freestyle with a time of 2:11.8.<ref name=Tankman/>  Under Jeff's Swim Coach Bob Timmons, who would later become a legendary track coach at the University of Kansas, Wichita East swimming would eventually have eight straight undefeated seasons, 52 individual state champions, and seven state swimming titles.<ref name=Timmons>{{cite web|url=https://warrenmcelwain.com/obituary/robert-bob-timmons/|title=Robert Leroy Timmons, Obituary|publisher=Warren, McElwain Mortuary|access-date=2023-04-27}}</ref><ref name=Tankman>"High School Tankman Matches a Record", ''The Parson Sun'', Parsons, Kansas, 7 January 1954, pg. 4</ref>  Benefitting from Timmons' coaching, by his Senior year Jeff was a nominee for Wichita's Downtown YMCA's Athlete of the Year Award, with only five other Wichita High School Athletes.<ref>"Pick Candidates for Y Honors", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 16 May 1954, pg. 16</ref><ref>Coached by Bob Timmons, did 220 at 22:11.8 in "Swimming Champ", ''The Wichita Beacon'', Wichita, Kansas, 7 January 1954, pg. 7</ref>  Jeff graduated Wichita East in 1954, and was on the All-America team each year he swam.<ref name=KSHOF/>

==College swimming for Oklahoma==
[[Image:Matt Mann (swim coach).jpg|upright=.5|left|thumb|OU Coach Matt Mann]]
Farrell was a Freshman at University of Oklahoma in 1955, and was swimming for the school in 1956 when he set a 100-yard record of 51.4 during a meet with Kansas.<ref>"Jeff Farrell Sets Mark in OU Swim Win", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 5 Feb 1956, pg. 10</ref>  In February 1958, while swimming for the Sooners under Hall of Fame coach [[Matthew Mann]], he set a new pool record in the 100-yard sprint of 52.8 at a Big 8 meet.  Jeff made the All-American team each year at the University of Oklahoma.  In the full span of his swimming career, Farrell took six national championships in  the 100 and 200-meter freestyle swim events, and at various times set 25 American, world and Olympic records.<ref name=KSHOF>{{cite web|url=https://www.kshof.org/team/jeff-farrell|title=Jeff Farrell, Kansas Sports Hall of Fame|publisher=Kansas Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=2023-01-27}}</ref>  Jeff graduated from Oklahoma around 1958.<ref name=KSHOF/>

===Pan Am Games===
In early September, Farrell won two gold medals at the 1959 [[Swimming at the 1959 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]] in Chicago, in the men's 100-meter freestyle (56.3), and the Men's 4x100-meter medley.  Besides Jeff, the 4x100-meter medley team consisted of  [[Frank McKinney]], [[Mike Troy]], and Kenneth Nakasone who was not an Olympian.<ref name=Olympedia/>  Both events were completed in Pan Am Games record time.<ref name="the17thman.typepad.com"/><ref name=Olympedia/><ref>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/sport/swimpag.htm Pan American Games - Swimming and Diving] page, from gbrathletics.com; retrieved 2012-04-15.</ref>

==Swimming at Yale ROTC program==
Jeff enrolled in the Navy ROTC Program at Yale by 1959 and was first commissioned as an Ensign, swimming with Hall of Fame Yale Coaches [[Robert J. H. Kiphuth|Bob Kiphuth]] and on occasion [[Phil Moriarty]], though primarily in American Athletic Union competition, as his collegiate eligibility was completed at the University of Oklahoma. Jeff swam with some frequency with the U.S. team in 1959 and 1960 in International competition.<ref>"Farrell Aids in World Mark", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 22 July 1959, pg. 18</ref> While at the Yale ROTC and graduate program, Farrell swam at times with former Yale Coach Bob Kiphuth's New Haven Swim Club.<ref>Swam for New Haven Swim Club in "World's Swim Mark", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 17 July 1960, pg. 16</ref>   Four months before the Olympic trials, while out of collegiate competition in April 1960 at 23, Jeff, as a Lieutenant Junior Grade would break records in the 100-yard freestyle with a 48.2, and another record in the 220-yard freestyle at the National Men's AAU Championship, held in the Yale Pool.<ref>"Jeff Farrell Cracks Swim Sprint Mark", ''The Manhattan Mercury'', Manhattan, Kansas, 3 April 1960, pg. 2</ref><ref>July '59 Farrell is in Yale Naval ROTC as an Ensign in "Bus From Queen", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 13 July 1959, pg. 18</ref>  Jeff would hold his ROTC Lieutenant's commission in 1960, and graduate with a Masters from Yale in 1963.<ref>"Sooner Swimmers Splash by Kansas", ''Shawnee News Star'', Shawnee, Oklahoma, 9 February 1958, pg. 10</ref><ref name=Olympedia>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/51331|title=Jeff Farrell, Olympedia Bio|access-date=2023-01-27}}</ref><ref name=Stager>"Olympic Swimming Trials Here", ''Detroit Free Press'', Detroit, Michigan, 2 August 1960, pg. 26</ref><ref name=KSHOF/>

== 1960 Rome Olympics ==
=== 1960 Olympic trials ===
[[Image:FarrellJeffOlympianbandaged.JPG|upright=.41|left|thumb|Jeff, bandage above suit, Aug. 2, '60 Trials]]
On August 2, 1960,<ref>Swam trials in early August '60 in "Jeff Farrell is Bidding For Olympic Swim Spot", ''The Newark Advocate'', Newark, New Jersey, 3 August 1960, pg. 14</ref> only six days after having an emergency appendectomy on July 27,<ref name=stomach/><ref>"Champions", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 18 February 1996, pg. 120</ref> Jeff qualified at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Detroit. Despite swimming with his lower stomach tightly bandaged,<ref name=stomach>Lower stomach bandaged in "Scoffs at Surgery Wins", ''Lancaster Eagle-Gazette'', Lancaster, Ohio, 6 August 1960, pg. 8</ref> and still having his stitches, Jeff won both his first preliminary heat and the semi-final heat for the 100-meters.<ref>Diles, Dave, "Jeff Farrell's Courage Buoys U.S. Swim Hopes", ''The Daily Reporter'', 3 August 1960, pg. 18</ref> He placed third in the final but was not selected as he needed to be in the top two finishers.

Farrell did qualify for selection in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, after finishing fourth in the 200-metre final, with the first six being selected for the relay squad.<ref name=Olympedia/><ref>Puscas, George, "He's Third in Finals", ''Detroit Free Press'', Detroit, Michigan, 4 August 1960, pg. 29</ref><ref name="the17thman.typepad.com">[http://the17thman.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/10/espn-magazine-the-body-issue-2010-jeff-farrell.html ESPN Magazine The Body Issue 2010 – Jeff Farrell (the17thman)]. The17thman.typepad.com (2010-10-07). Retrieved on 2015-10-19.</ref>

== Two Olympic gold medals ==
With only a little over a month to recover from his appendectomy, he had success at the [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Olympic Games]] in Rome in early September, where he received gold medals as a member of the winning U.S. teams in the [[Swimming at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100-meter medley relay]],  and the [[Swimming at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200-meter freestyle relay]].<ref name=db-olymp-1960SWI>[http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=15&sp=SWI "1960 Summer Olympics – Rome, Italy– Swimming"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904142032/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=15&sp=SWI |date=2007-09-04 }} – ''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on April 30, 2008)</ref>  At the 1960 Olympics, he was managed by Olympics Head Coach [[Gus Stager]], who was then Michigan Head Coach.<ref name=Stager/>

[[Image:Ferrell, Larson, Hait, McKinney 1960.jpg|upright=1.2|left|thumb|1960 U.S. 4x100 Olympic medley team, (left to right) Ferrell, Larson, Hait, McKinney]]
Shown at left, the gold medal-winning American Olympic team in the 4x100 meter medley relay, had [[Frank McKinney]] swim first as backstroker, [[Lance Larson]] swim second with butterfly, [[Paul Hait]] swim third with breaststroke, and Jeff swim last with freestyle.  The Medley team's time of 4:05.4, set both a new Olympic and World record, with Jeff completing his anchor swim in 54.9.<ref>{{cite news |title=Swimming night of triumph for U.S.: Two world marks and three gold medals |date=1960-09-02 |newspaper=[[The Times]] |page=4 }}</ref>

The American team's gold medal-winning time in the 4x200 meter freestyle relay, in which Jeff again swam last, was 8:10.2, which was also both a new Olympic and World record, and bettered the old world record by 6 seconds.<ref>"Olympic Games Results, Men's 800 meter freestyle relay", ''Clarion Ledger'', Jackson, Mississippi, 2 September 1960, pg. 15</ref>

==Post-olympic swimming==
Continuing to swim after the Olympics, within a year of his appendectomy, Farrell broke a combined 23 American and World records.<ref name=swimswam>{{cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/57-years-after-breaking-wr-jeff-farrell-does-it-again-masters-style/|title=Penland, Spencer, 57 Years After Breaking World Record, Jeff Farrell Does it Again|publisher=SwimSwam|date=2 January 2018}}</ref>
After the Olympics in Rome, Jeff lived abroad, coaching a number of foreign swim teams.<ref name=KSHOF/>

===U.S. Master's swimming===
He returned to the U.S. to live in Santa Barbara, California in 1980, and began to swim with United States Masters Swimming.  His comeback could be attributed to his Master's coach Judy Bonning, who helped him modernize his starts and turns, and make his workouts more efficient. Judy coached for around five years at Santa Barbara Masters in Jeff's early years swimming there.<ref name=USMS/> Although it seems a rare occurrence, in essence, through around the age of sixty Farrell retained most of his speed and appears to have diminished the process of aging, demonstrating a loss in time of just three one hundredths of second per year.<ref name=ishofprofile/>  Farrell is a multiple [[U.S. Masters Swimming]] world-record holder, and has held the fastest national times in his age group in dozens of events over the past decades.  He has set 27 FINA Master's World Records, primarily in freestyle, but a few in the individual medley and one in the breast stroke.<ref name=ishofprofile/><ref>[http://www.usms.org/comp/aa/indaa.php?SwimmerID=03AF9 All American Listings for Jeff Farrell]. Usms.org. Retrieved on 2015-10-19.</ref>  He was photographed for and featured in ESPN's "The Body" issue in 2010.<ref name="the17thman.typepad.com"/>  He set world records for Masters Swimming up until 2011, and was credited as a United States Masters Swimming All American thirty-two times from 1982 to 2022.<ref>[http://www.usms.org/swimgold/sto/frl37qi.htm Stories about USMS Swimmers – Jeff Farrell]. Usms.org (1998-05-03). Retrieved on 2015-10-19.</ref><ref name=FarrellAA>{{cite web|url=https://www.usms.org/comp/aa/indaa.php?SwimmerID=03AF9|title=Jeff Farrell, United States Masters Swimming All American Listings for Jeff Farrell|publisher=United States Masters Swimming|access-date=2023-01-27}}</ref>

==Wichita Swim Club==
In 1991, he was on-hand to dedicate the new 50-meter x 25-yard Olympic size pool on Wichita's East Douglas, the home of Wichita Swim Club, where he had been an active member and occasional swimmer through 1960.<ref>Stratton, Bob, "Swim Club Has its New Pool", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 7 February 1991, pg. 52</ref>  Hired in November, 1984, the club at the time was coached by Rob Snowberger, a former two-year University of Alabama Assistant Coach under Hall of Fame Head Coach [[Don Gambril]], who had coached world class freestyle sprinters [[Jonty Skinner]] and [[Jack Babashoff]].<ref>"Snowberger a Savior", ''The Wichita Eagle'', Wichita, Kansas, 31 October 1985, pg. 80</ref>  Between 1954 and 1964, the club was coached by Bob Timmons, Jeff's swim coach at Wichita East, and Jeff periodically swam for the club when not engaged with his High School or College teams.  Timmons started the Wichita Club in 1953.<ref>Unrein, John, "Jim Ryun Alost Ended Up at Oregon State", ''The Olathe Daily News'', Olathe, Kansas, 19 April 1987, pg. 14</ref><ref>McKay, Garnet, "Neighbor to Neighbor, ''The Wichita Eagle'', A reunion for the original Wichita Swim Club", Wichita, Kansas, 30 June 1985</ref>

===Living in Santa Barbara===
Jeff has been living in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife Gabrielle and two children since the early 1980s, where he has trained and on occasion travelled to compete with Santa Barbara Masters.  He has worked as a Realtor for Coldwell Banker and has worked in the field of real estate primarily in the Santa Barbara area since the 1980s.  Farrell was named one of “America’s Most Referred Realtors” and was a recipient of the R.F. McFarland Award as a community leader.<ref name=SBRoundTable>{{cite web|url=https://sbroundtable.org/hall-of-fame/inductees/special-achievement/jeff-farrell/|title=Jeff Farrell, Santa Barbara Roundtable Hall of Fame|date=6 February 2011 |publisher=Santa Barbara Round Table|access-date=2023-01-27}}</ref><ref>Has worked in real estate in "Santa Barbara" ''Los Angeles Times'', Los Angeles, California, 1 September 1985, pg. 148</ref><ref name=USMS>{{cite web|url=https://www.usms.org/fitness-and-training/articles-and-videos/articles/profiling-jeff-farrell-1968-ishof-honor-swimmer?Oldid=1411|title=Coplan, Joseph, (For the ''New York Times'') Profiling Jeff Farrell, 1968 ISHOF Honor Swimmer (Collection of Articles)|publisher=United States Masters Swimming|access-date=2023-01-27}}</ref><ref name=Bookreview>{{cite web|url=https://www.sixtydegreespublishing.com/jeff-farrell|title=My Olympic Story, Jeff's Book|publisher=Sixty Degrees Publishing|access-date=2023-01-27}}</ref><ref name=Worldfit>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldfit.org/athletes/jeff-farrell/|title=Jeff Farrell, World Fit Profile|publisher=Worldfit.org|access-date=2023-01-27}}</ref><ref name=FarrellMasters>{{cite web|url=https://www.usms.org/comp/tt/toptenind.php?SwimmerID=03AF9|title=Jeff Farrell, United States Masters Swimming Top Ten Times|publisher=United States Masters Swimming|access-date=2023-01-27}}</ref>

==Honors==
Farrell was inducted into the [[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] in 1968,<ref name=ishofprofile>{{cite web |url=http://www.ishof.org/jeff-farrell.html |title=Jeff Farrell (USA) |website=ISHOF.org |publisher=[[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402130658/http://www.ishof.org/jeff-farrell.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in 2011. 
<ref>[http://www.usms.org/admin/awards/award.php?a=9 Jeff Farrell (USA)]. Usms.org. Retrieved on 2015-10-19.</ref>  He is the only swimmer to be inducted into both halls.  He was made a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1961.<ref name=KSHOF/>
He was honored by the Los Angeles Times receiving their National Sports Award, and the American Athletic Union Swimming Award.  He has also been inducted into the Helms Foundation Athletic Hall of Fame, and California's Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Hall of Fame.<ref name=KSHOF/>  He was the first competitor to go under 2 minutes for the 200-meter freestyle, and the first to go under 56 and 55 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle.<ref name=KSHOF/>

He has written a book about his Olympic experiences titled ''My Olympic Story, Rome 1960''.<ref>[http://www.vintageteampress.com Home]. Vintage Team Press. Retrieved on 2015-10-19.</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame]]
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)]]
* [[List of Yale University people]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Jeff Farrell}}
* [http://vintageteampress.com Jeff Farrell] – Biography at VintageTeamPress.com
* {{cite Sports-Reference|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fa/jeff-farrell-1.html |title=Jeff Farrell |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519205803/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fa/jeff-farrell-1.html |archivedate=2011-05-19 }}
* {{webarchive |title=Jeff Farrell (USA) – Honor Swimmer profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402130658/http://www.ishof.org/jeff-farrell.html |date=2015-04-02 }}
* [https://www.kshof.org/team/jeff-farrell Jeff Farrell, Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]

{{Footer USA Swimming 1960 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Medley Relay Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x200 m Freestyle Relay Men}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions 100 m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions 4x100 m Medley Men}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrell, Jeff}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American male freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:World record setters in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Wichita, Kansas]]
[[Category:Swimmers from Detroit]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1959 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:University of Oklahoma people]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Yale Bulldogs men's swimmers]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]