Jeanne Hallock

Jeanne Courtney Hallock, born on December 26, 1946, was an American swimmer who competed at the highest levels. She was also known by her married name, Jeanne Craig. Hallock was a talented athlete who shined in club, high school, and Olympic competitions.

In the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, she served as the U.S. team Co-Captain. She helped the team win a gold medal in the women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay during the preliminary heats. Although she did not swim in the final race, her contribution was important to the team's success.

Hallock was also a strong competitor in the 100-meter freestyle, her main event. She swam in the preliminary heats for this race at the same Olympics but did not advance to the finals. Her dedication and skill made her a notable figure in swimming history, and she was voted to the AAU All America team twice.

Early life

Jeanne Hallock was born in the Los Angeles area on December 26, 1946. She started swimming when she was 11 years old and took lessons at the Jack Roth Swim School. She went to Arcadia High School, where her coach, Don Gambril, also taught history and coached football.

While she was in school, Jeanne enjoyed music and was part of the Acapella Choir and a dance group. She was good at many swimming styles, especially freestyle, backstroke, and individual medley. A fellow swimmer, Sharon Stouder, who later won gold in the 1964 Olympics, also swam at the same club and lived close by.

Rosemead swim club highlights

In September 1962, Jeanne was chosen for the AAU All America Swimming Team for her strong performance in the 1500-meter swim. Later that year, she earned a spot on the All America team again. She came very close to winning the National 3-Mile swim in 1961 and trained for the Pan America games during her Junior year.

Jeanne did most of her early training with the Rosemead Swim Club and later the City of Commerce Swim Club. Both clubs were coached by Don Gambril during her time there. In May 1961, Jeanne placed second in the 200-meter freestyle at the Southern Pacific Senior AAU Meet, where three swimmers from Gambril's Rosemead Club took the top three spots. She was known for long-distance swimming and once swam the 1500-meter distance in 19:48.5 in Chicago in 1962, finishing fifth overall.

Jeanne also showed she was good at shorter races. She won the Women's 100-yard freestyle at the National AAU Women's Meet in April 1961 with a time of 1:01.9. Her Olympic race in 1964 used her sprinting skills, showing how her hard work with Don Gambril had helped her improve.

In May 1962, Jeanne showed her ability to swim many different distances at the AAU age group meet for 15- to 16-year-olds. She broke records in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle, as well as the 200-meter medley.

1964 Summer Olympics

Jeanne Hallock was a talented swimmer who took part in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan when she was just 17 years old. She was one of the team leaders and swam in the early rounds of the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Although her team won a gold medal in the final, Jeanne did not get a medal because she did not swim in the final race.

Jeanne also competed in the women’s 100-meter freestyle, an event she was very good at. She swam a strong race but did not move on to the final round. She faced strong competition and was dealing with some health issues that might have affected her performance.

1965 National AAU outdoor competition wins

After the Olympics, Jeanne kept swimming for the Commerce Swim Club, led by her coach Don Gambril. In 1965, she helped her team win the National AAU Outdoor 4x200 free relay race.

1965 National AAU indoor competition wins

In April 1965, Jeanne Hallock won the 100-yard freestyle at the AAU Indoor championships. She was eighteen years old and a Physical Education student at Cal Poly in Pomona. Jeanne surprised everyone by winning against her teammate, Olympic gold medalist Sharon Stouder, who was not feeling well. She also beat two other swimmers she had competed against in the 1964 Olympics. Jeanne’s time was about 54.8 seconds, just ahead of the others.

Later that same month, Jeanne also won the 200-yard Individual Medley at the same championship, finishing in 2:14.2 seconds. She swam for the City of Commerce team and, along with her teammates, set a new American record in the 400-yard Medley Relay with a time of 4:06.8. It was a great showing at her home pool, and her skills were as strong as they had been during the Olympics the year before.

'67 Marriage to William Craig

On May 13, 1967, Jeanne married William Norval Craig in Las Vegas, Nevada. At that time, Jeanne was studying at the University of Southern California and was part of the Pi Beta Phi group. She swam for exercise during her college years but did not compete. Her husband William also studied at USC, was a swimmer for the university, and won a gold medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1965, Jeanne was part of the United States Swim Team that traveled to Wales, England, France, Monaco, Portugal, and Spain. The couple first lived in Costa Mesa.