BTV or Bangladesh Television was the only TV channel in Bangladesh in the early 1990s. The Tarzan series of movies was very popular at that time. When the broadcast started on TV, everyone used to sit in front of the TV. Many around the world tried to imitate Tarzan’s famous call ‘Oyo O’. Little did many know then, the man who played Tarzan was not only a famous actor, but also one of the greatest Olympians of all time.
Johnny Weissmuller is the best actor of all time in the Tarzan series of movies. Before he rose to fame with his role in the film Tarzan, he immortalized himself in history by setting a series of Olympic swimming records. He was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now part of Romania, and died in Mexico. But he was an American citizen.
Johnny Weissmuller is the first swimmer in the world to finish the 100m freestyle race in under a minute. He was the first swimmer to finish the 440-yard swim in under five minutes.
Johnny Weissmuller won five gold and one bronze medals at the Olympics. He won 52 gold medals in American swimming competitions. He set more world records than he won medals. In all, he set 67 national and international records. His greatest achievement was that no one could beat him in any swimming event until his retirement.
Johnny Weissmuller is the first swimmer in the world to finish the 100m freestyle race in under a minute. He was the first swimmer to finish the 440-yard swim in under five minutes.
Johnny’s journey to the Olympics began in 1924. The Olympic Games were held in Paris, just like this time. He won three gold and one bronze medal from Paris. Three of his gold medals came from swimming. The United States won bronze in the service water polo. Johnny won bronze as a member of that team.
In 1928, the Olympic Games were held in Armstad. Johnny won two gold medals at the Seber Olympics. Johnny won a record five gold medals at the Olympics.
After retiring from swimming, he started working in Hollywood. He gained great fame by acting in the movie ‘Tarzan the Apeman’. Tarzan’s famous nickname ‘Oyo O’ is his creation. Apart from this, he gained fame by acting in another movie series about jungle. Its name is Jungle Gym. He became so popular in Hollywood that he was said to have turned from the ‘King of Swimming’ to the ‘King of the Jungle’.
But Johnny the Swimmer surpassed Johnny the Actor. This was evident in a famous revolutionary incident. When the revolution was taking place in Cuba, Johnny Weissmuller was playing golf with a friend in Cuba. In such a situation, several armed revolutionaries surrounded them. They were identified as enemies of the revolution. Unable to convince the revolutionaries, Johnny then gives his famous call, immediately the revolutionaries recognize Tarzan and honorably let him go.
However, very few swimmers have been able to show the feat that Johnny has achieved in swimming. He was the best swimmer from 1921 to 1929. During this period he was not defeated by anyone in any swimming event.
