# Olaf van Schilling
**Olaf, Baron von Schilling** (full name Olaf Georg von Schilling; 1943 in Stralsund – 18 May 2018 in Duisburg) was a West German freestyle swimmer who set world records in the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay in 1965, won gold in the same event at the 1970 European Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, and competed for [West Germany](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-germany) at the 1968 Mexico City and 1972 Munich Olympic Games[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938). A member of the nobility, he carried the title Baron and is listed by Olympedia among Olympian members of the nobility[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and title | Olaf Georg von Schilling; Baron[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938) |
| Born / died | 1943 in Stralsund, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; 18 May 2018 in Duisburg, aged 74[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938) |
| Measurements | 187 cm / 77 kg[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938) |
| relay performances | 4 × 200 m freestyle relay: 8:08.4 on 24 July 1965 and 8:07.3 on 1 August 1965, both in London[2](https://www.sport-record.info/schwimmsport/swimming-wr.pdf) |
| European title | Gold, 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, 1970 Barcelona, 7:49.5, a European record from 12 September 1970 to 29 August 1972[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938) • [3](https://www.dsv.de/de/ueberuns/geschichte/europameister/) |
| Olympic results | 1968: sixth in the 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m freestyle relays, =23rd in the 100 m freestyle, 12th in the 200 m freestyle; 1972: 25th in the 200 m freestyle[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938) |
| Award | Silver Laurel Leaf (Silbernes Lorbeerblatt), Germany's highest sports award[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938) |
## World records of 1965
Von Schilling's greatest success came as a member of the West German men's 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay team. The German quartet of Hans-Joachim Klein, Wolfgang Kremer, von Schilling, and Holger Kirschke recorded 8:08.4 in London on 24 July 1965, with von Schilling on the third leg; eight days later, on 1 August 1965, the same four swimmers, with von Schilling moved to the second leg, improved their time to 8:07.3, again in London; neither performance surpassed the United States' 1964 world record of 7:52.1[2](https://www.sport-record.info/schwimmsport/swimming-wr.pdf) • [12](https://www.olympedia.org/results/5742?id=5699). Neither the German team's times nor the East German quartet's 7:59.5, swum in Leipzig on 8 September 1965[2](https://www.sport-record.info/schwimmsport/swimming-wr.pdf), surpassed the 1964 world record of 7:52.1, so the record did not pass to East Germany[12](https://www.olympedia.org/results/5742?id=5699).
## Olympic Games of 1968 and 1972
**Mexico City 1968.** Von Schilling competed in four events for West Germany (FRG). In the relays, he finished sixth in the final of both the 4 × 100 meter and the 4 × 200 meter freestyle[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938). In the 100 meter freestyle he qualified in a heat in 55.8 seconds and was eliminated in the semifinals, placing equal 23rd in 55.9 seconds[4](https://olympedia-pro.t5tyuwenpa.eu-west-1.elasticbeanstalk.com/results/5850). In the 200 meter freestyle he placed 12th[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938). Swimming World's contemporary account of the 4 × 200 relay final records his second-leg split at 2:01.3, with the West German team at 4:01.8 at that stage on the way to sixth place behind the United States, Australia, and East Germany[5](https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/50-year-lookback-of-1968-mexico-city-olympics-don-schollander-anchors-usa-to-4x200-free-relay-gold-on-day-fiv/).
**Munich 1972.** Von Schilling started only the individual 200 meter freestyle and was eliminated in the heats, placing 25th in 2:00.27[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938) • [6](https://www.olympedia.org/results/6185?id=6347). The official 1972 Olympic Games results list confirms the time of 2:00.27 in his heat[7](https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/timesdocuments/meet-results/olympic-games/1972-olympic-games.pdf).
## European gold in Barcelona, 1970
At the 1970 European Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, von Schilling won the gold medal in the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay. The winning time of 7:49.5, set on 12 September 1970, stood as the European record in long-course swimming until 29 August 1972[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938). The German Swimming Federation's list of German European champions records the same quartet and time[3](https://www.dsv.de/de/ueberuns/geschichte/europameister/).
## German swimming and the 1966 accident
Von Schilling won multiple German national titles. A [Wuppertal](https://www.edgepedia.org/wuppertal) newspaper chronicle records that on 4 August 1966 the world-record swimmer was seriously injured in a traffic accident, at a time when he was considered one of the favorites for the crawl events at the European Championships in Utrecht[8](https://www.wuppertal.de/Zeitungschronik-1929-2014-Stand-Nov.2025.pdf). He returned to international competition, and in January 1969 he was among the Wuppertal Olympic athletes awarded the honor plaque of the German Olympic Society[9](https://www.wuppertal.de/Zeitungschronik-1929-2008-Stand-Sep.2025.pdf).
## Villanova years
Von Schilling studied and swam in the United States at [Villanova University](https://www.edgepedia.org/villanova-university). The Villanova swimming and diving record book lists him as an NCAA All-American in the 800 yard freestyle relay in 1970[10](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/villanova.com/documents/2023/10/21/Swim_Dive_Record_Book_2023-24.pdf). He was one of the team captains under longtime coach Ed Geisz whom Geisz guided onto an Olympic team; Villanova's memorial notice for Geisz states that von Schilling represented West Germany at the 1972 Olympiad alongside fellow captain Tom Aretz[11](https://villanova.com/news/2002/7/23/Legendary_Villanova_Swim_Coach_Ed_Geisz_Passes_Away).
## Honors
The Silver Laurel Leaf (Silbernes Lorbeerblatt) is described by Olympedia as Germany's highest sports award, and Olympedia states that von Schilling received it for the 1965 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay world record[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938).
## References
1. [Olympedia – Olaf, Baron von Schilling](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/47938)
2. [Swimming – Progression of long course world records (50 m), sport-record.info](https://www.sport-record.info/schwimmsport/swimming-wr.pdf)
3. [Deutscher Schwimm-Verband – Europameister, Geschichte](https://www.dsv.de/de/ueberuns/geschichte/europameister/)
4. [Olympedia – 100 metres Freestyle, Men (1968 results)](https://olympedia-pro.t5tyuwenpa.eu-west-1.elasticbeanstalk.com/results/5850)
5. [Swimming World – 50 Year Lookback of 1968 Mexico City Olympics: Don Schollander Anchors USA to 4x200 Free Relay Gold on Day Five](https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/50-year-lookback-of-1968-mexico-city-olympics-don-schollander-anchors-usa-to-4x200-free-relay-gold-on-day-fiv/)
6. [Olympedia – 200 metres Freestyle, Men (1972 results)](https://www.olympedia.org/results/6185?id=6347)
7. [USA Swimming – 1972 Olympic Games Results](https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/timesdocuments/meet-results/olympic-games/1972-olympic-games.pdf)
8. [Wuppertal Zeitungschronik 1929–2014](https://www.wuppertal.de/Zeitungschronik-1929-2014-Stand-Nov.2025.pdf)
9. [Wuppertal Chronik 1929–2008](https://www.wuppertal.de/Zeitungschronik-1929-2008-Stand-Sep.2025.pdf)
10. [Villanova Swimming & Diving Record Book 2023-24 – Wildcat All-Americans](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/villanova.com/documents/2023/10/21/Swim_Dive_Record_Book_2023-24.pdf)
11. [Villanova University – Legendary Villanova Swim Coach Ed Geisz Passes Away](https://villanova.com/news/2002/7/23/Legendary_Villanova_Swim_Coach_Ed_Geisz_Passes_Away)
12. [Olympedia, 4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men](https://www.olympedia.org/results/5742?id=5699)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Olympics and multisport subjects › Olympic swimmers*
*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license