Patty Caretto

Patricia Sarena Caretto (born January 4, 1951), also known by her married name Patricia Brown, is an American former competition swimmer, 1968 Olympic competitor, and 1964 world record-holder in two distance freestyle events. She is a former world record holder in the women's 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle, having set world records in those events on eight occasions.

Patty attended Whittier High School, where she competed with her High School team at least for a year after the Olympics and graduated around 1969, nearing the end of her competitive swimming career.

Rosemead, City of Commerce Swim clubs Her most significant swim training occurred as a young age group swimmer with the City of Commerce Swimming Club, in Commerce, California, formerly Rosemead Swim Club under Hall of Fame and future Olympic Coach Don Gambril. Gambrill observed Patty swimming with the Whittier Swim Association, and was able to bring her to his own club.

1964 World Records On July 30, 1964, at only 13, Caretto set her first two world records at the AAU National Championships at California's Foothill College in Palo Alto. She completed the 1500-meter in 18.30.5, breaking the standing women's record by 13.5 seconds, and then set a new women's world record for the 800-meter free at the same meet with a 9:07.5. Caretto was just over 5 feet at 13, and around 100 pounds, and bettered many of the men's times in the 1500 event at Nationals.

Her trademark competition stroke technique, known as the windmill, included rapid arm strokes with decreased kicks, around two-beats per two strokes. At the time her world record breaking events, the 800 and 1500-meter events were not part of Olympic competition in the 1964 Olympics, to be held that summer. Though Patty's time was 4.4 seconds faster than Debbie's former standing world record set in 1968, it could not better Debbie Myer's new world record times.

1968 Olympics Later in October, after travelling to the '68 Olympics in Mexico City as a 17-year-old, Caretto placed fifth in the final of the women's 800-meter freestyle. According to a Los Angeles Times account, she had been struggling with illness during that time.

Long Beach State College Around 1969, Patty attended Long Beach State College, where she swam for one year, under the management of her former coach Don Gambril, who began his coaching there in 1967. Patty also swam some with the Phillips 66 Swim Club under Gambril in her later competitive years.