senior Scoops

Hometown heros

With the Summer Olympics ending on Sunday, I couldn’t let them pass without a short reflection. This comes in the form of a bit of hometown pride. Scores of cities, towns, and villages nationwide are basking in the glow of their favorite daughters’ and sons’ successes in Paris. Here is a bit of braggadocio from the corner of the world where I grew up.

Claire Weinstein, at 17, is the youngest member of the women’s Olympic Swim team in Paris. The White Plains native, who attended both Highlands Middle School and White Plains High (NY), was a member of the women’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay. Weinstein swam the first leg on the team that captured the silver medal in the event. They were second to the heavily favored Australians.

Claire is not the first Olympic medalist from the White Plains School system.

In the 1968 games in Mexico City, Larry James was a two-time medal winner. He won a silver medal in the 400 meters, finishing second only to the great Lee Evans. Larry, then struck gold as a member of the US 4 x 400 relay team that took the top spot on the podium.

James ran the 3rd leg, with teammates Vince Mathews running 1st, Ron Freeman 2nd, and Lee Evans as the anchor. The team obliterated the field by a Secretariat-like margin, setting a world record at 2:56.16, which stood for 14 years.

Larry James passed away in 2008.

Claires 4×200 Womens freestyle relay–(Video) 2024

Larry’s 4×400 Mens relay–(Video) 1968

Congratulations Claire, thanks for the memory Larry.