Sharon Stouder

Sharon Marie Stouder (November 9, 1948 – June 23, 2013), also known by her married name Sharon Stouder Clark, was an American competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in four events.

Early life At only three, Sharon started swimming and began competition by eight, taking two firsts and setting age-group records in her first meet. She held 20 firsts in national age-group events, and took six National Junior Olympic age group ratings.

Olympics As a 15-year-old, outperforming initial expectations, she won three gold medals and one silver at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She won the women's 100-meter butterfly unexpectedly beating the favored Dutch champion Ada Kok, and was a member of the winning U.S. teams in the women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay and the women's 4×100-meter medley relay.

In international competition, Stouder took a gold medal at the 1963 São Paulo Pan Am games in both the 4x100 freestyle and medley relays.

Honors She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1972, and the Stanford Hall of Fame in 1997. She was the California State Athlete of the year in 1963–64.