George Fissler

George Robert Fissler (October 13, 1906 – December 18, 1975) was an American competition swimmer who represented the United States at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Fissler, who competed for the New York Athletic Club, won a silver medal as a member of the second-place U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

Born October 13, 1906 in New York, he first learned to swim in the East River according to a few press accounts, and started swimming and competing in earnest around 1920 at the age of 14 for the New York City Boys Club on New York City's East Side.

Early swimming achievements On August 10, 1924, swimming for the Boy's Club of New York City, Fissler won the one mile championship for the Alamac Swimming Association in Lake Hopatcong by a margin of around 30 feet. Fissler had formerly won the Metropolitan Senior Half Mile Championship. In 1928, swimming for the NYAC, Fissler won the 100-yard backstroke in a pool record time of 1:08.2 and the 100-yard freestyle race in a pool record time of 55.6 seconds, while competing for the Alamac trophy sponsored by the Hygeia Club at the Hygeia Pool in Atlantic City.

While swimming for the New York Athletic Club in June, 1929, Fissler was the high scorer at the Valley Stream Long, Island Championship meet, winning the 100-yard freestyle in :56 seconds, and taking second in both the 200-yard freestyle, and 100-yard backstroke. Fissler helped lead the NYAC to the team championship.

1932 Olympic Silver medal Fissler won the 200-meter freestyle at the Finals of the 1932 Olympic Trials to earn a place on the 4x200 relay team. At the time, there was no individual 200-meter freestyle event.

At the 1932 Summer Olympics, on August 9, 1932, at the age of 25, Fissler won a silver medal as a member of the second-place U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay, with fellow teammates Frank Booth and Hawaiian-Americans Maiola Kalili and his brother Manuella Kalili. Fissler swam the second leg of the 4 person relay. Fissler's 4x200-meter American team swam a 9:10.5, and broke the world record, but the winning Japanese team had broken the world record as well and finished 12 seconds earlier, considered a significant margin. Despite the Olympic swimming competition taking place at America's Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Japanese swimming team won 12 medals, two more than the American team.