Lillian Watson

{{Short description|American swimmer}}

{{about||the English soprano|Lillian Watson (soprano)|the tennis player|Lilian Watson}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Lillian Watson

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = Lillian Debra Watson

| nicknames = "Pokey"

| national_team = United States

| strokes = Backstroke, freestyle

| club = Santa Clara Swim Club

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|7|11|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Mineola, New York, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|5|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|146|lb|kg|abbr=on}}

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Women's swimming}}

{{MedalCountry | the United States}}

{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games}}

{{MedalGold | 1964 Tokyo | 4x100 m freestyle}}

{{MedalGold | 1968 Mexico City | 200 m backstroke}}

{{MedalCompetition | Pan American Games}}

{{MedalBronze | 1967 Winnipeg | 100 m freestyle}}

}}

Lillian Debra Watson (born July 11, 1950), commonly known by her nickname Pokey Watson, and later by her married name Lillian Richardson, is an American former competition swimmer, a two-time Olympic champion, and a former world record-holder in three events.

As a 14-year-old, she represented the United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417165448/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/pokey-watson-1.html Pokey Watson]. Retrieved September 8, 2015. Watson won a gold medal as a member of the first-place U.S. team in the women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay, together with her teammates Sharon Stouder, Donna de Varona and Kathy Ellis. The four American women set a new world of 4:03.8 in the event final.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417044041/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/USA/summer/1964/SWI/ United States Swimming at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games]. Retrieved September 8, 2015. She also swam the backstroke leg for the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the women's 4×100-meter medley relay, but did not receive a second medal because only relay swimmers who competed in the event final were eligible under the 1964 rules. Four years later at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, she won a gold medal for her first-place performance in the women's 200-meter backstroke, setting a new Olympic record of 2:24.8.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417090347/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1968/SWI/womens-200-metres-backstroke-final.html Women's 200 metres Backstroke Final]. Retrieved September 8, 2015.

Watson broke Dawn Fraser's six-year-old world record in the 200-meter freestyle (long course) on August 19, 1966, with a time of 2:10.5, and held the record for one year. She was part of several world record performances in relay events.

Watson was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1984.{{cite web |url=http://www.ishof.org/lillian-pokey-watson--(usa).html |title=Lillian "Pokey" Watson (USA) |website=ISHOF.org |publisher=International Swimming Hall of Fame |access-date=September 8, 2015 |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905183708/http://ishof.org/lillian-pokey-watson--(usa).html |url-status=dead }}