Ludy Langer

Ludwig Ernest Frank Langer (January 22, 1893 – July 5, 1984) was a Hall of Fame American competition swimmer and world record holder who competed in freestyle events for the University of California Berkeley, and won a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. After moving to Hawaii after graduating from U.C. Berkeley in 1916 to train and work, he was one of six Hawaii-based swimmers who competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics and collectively won seven medals. At the Redondo Beach Club, Langer was mentored by Hall of Famer, and Hawaiian native, Coach George Freeth.

University of California Langer swam for and attended the University of California Berkeley from around 1912, and served as swim team Captain in 1916 when he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. By his senior year at the University of California in 1916, Langer held three world records in freestyle events.

Career highlights Langer won the 440-yard, 880-yard and one-mile freestyle events at the 1915 and 1916 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships. By 1916 he held world records in the 440y indoor, and 880y outdoor and 1 mile events, but could not compete in the Olympics in 1916 as they were cancelled due to World War I. During competition in the Honolulu Harbor area, he set a world record in the 500-yard freestyle of 6:11.4 in 1916, and a world record of 5:17 for the 400-yard freestyle in 1917. He held a world record in the quarter mile for a five-year period until losing it to Hall of Fame swimmer Norman Ross. Several of his freestyle records would be broken by Olympian Johnny Weissmuller Continuing to swim after the 1916 Olympics, he won eight U.S. National Championships from 1915 through 1921. According to his obituary in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Langer swam the Antwerp Olympics not long after recovering from a broken eardrum.

Langer failed to reach the final of the 1,500-meter freestyle, though his time of 24:28.8 was the eighth fastest, and would have qualified him for the finals in more recent competition where finals pools average eight lanes. American Norman Ross took the gold medal, taking the lead around the half way point at 900 meters.

WWI Army service Langer served in the U.S. Army's Quartermaster's Corps as a Captain in WWI, and was absent for a period from American swimming competition. He resigned from the service to train for the 1920 Olympics. In March 1917, while at U.C. Berkeley, Langer won the 500-yard freestyle race at the Pacific Coast Swimming Championship in San Francisco, with a record time of 5:09.4.

After living in Hawaii for around six years, Langer returned to Los Angeles in January, 1922 to continue swimming for the Los Angeles Athletic Club and to begin work for his new business the Los Angeles Sausage Cover Manufacturing Company, which also made music strings and tennis racket strings.

Death Langer died of natural causes at 91 on July 5, 1984, three days after being admitted to the Centinela Park Convalescent Home in Inglewood outside Los Angeles, having been a resident of Baldwin Hills, California. In 1972 he retired from the Guenther-Langer Buick Agency in California's Leimert Park, having served as a partner. He was survived by a son, a daughter and grandchildren.

Honors In 1986, he was inducted into the University of California Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1988 he was posthumously inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.