{{short description|Swedish water polo player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}} {{Infobox sportsperson |name= |image = Max Gumpel.jpg | image_size = |caption= |birth_date= 23 April 1890 |birth_place= Stockholm, Sweden |death_date= 3 August 1965 (aged 75) |death_place= Stockholm, Sweden | height = | weight = |sport=Water polo | club =SK Neptun |show-medals=yes | medaltemplates= {{MedalCountry|{{SWE}}}} {{MedalOlympics}} {{MedalSilver| 1912 Stockholm | Team competition}} {{MedalBronze| 1920 Antwerp | Team competition}} }}
'''Leonard Max Gumpel''' (23 April 1890 – 3 August 1965) was a Swedish building contractor and Olympic swimmer and water polo player.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/50390 |title=Max Gumpel |work=Olympedia |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>
Gumpel was born in a rich family, and in 1906 was one of the founders and early sponsors of the Stockholm swimming club SK Neptun. He competed at the 1908 Olympics in the 200 metre breaststroke and at the 1912 and the 1920 Summer Olympics in water polo, winning a silver and a bronze medal in 1912 and 1920, respectively. He was later a board member of the Swedish Swimming Federation between 1919 and 1931.<ref name=sr/><ref name=sok/>
Gumpel had a short relationship with Greta Garbo<ref>[http://www.garboforever.com/Greta_at_PUB-5.htm Garboforever]. Garboforever. Retrieved on 1 February 2016.</ref> before she moved to Hollywood. They kept in touch as friends for the rest of their lives. She was a frequent guest of Gumpel's when visiting Sweden.<ref name=sok/>
In 1912 Gumpel graduated with a degree in construction and founded the firm ''Gumpel & Bengtsson'', which soon assumed a leading position in Sweden. During World War II Gumpel was involved in espionage with his friend Eric Erickson. With their help the allied powers obtained the exact locations of Germany's petroleum refineries and then bombed them. This event was reflected in a book<ref name="Klein">{{cite web |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9400EEDE123CF937A1575BC0A9649C8B63 |title= Alexander Klein, 83; Wrote Spy Thriller (obituary) |work=New York Times |date=24 August 2002 |accessdate=16 November 2007}}</ref> and the 1962 film ''The Counterfeit Traitor''.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/25/world/eric-erickson-wartime-spy.html ERIC ERICKSON, WARTIME SPY]. ''Associated Press'' via ''New York Times'' (25 January 1983). Retrieved on 2016-02-01.</ref>
Gumpel had a strong interest in boats and cars. He owned the motorboat ''Laila'' and the skerry cruiser ''La Liberté'' designed in 1934 by Erik Salander – both built at Kungsörs Båtvarv in Sweden.<ref name=sok/><ref>[http://www.jsbab.se/tjaenster/renovering-av-baat/laila/ Gumpels motorboat – Laila (1935)]. jsbab.se</ref>
==See also== * List of Olympic medalists in water polo (men)
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=sr>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417204449/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gu/max-gumpel-1.html Max Gumpel]. sports-reference.com</ref> <ref name=sok>[http://sok.se/idrottare/idrottare/m/max-gumpel.html Max Gumpel]. Swedish Olympic Committee</ref> }}
==External links== * {{Sports links}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031337/http://www8.idrottonline.se/imagevaultfiles/id_425180/cf_57129/sid_90-137-_1926.pdf Neptun 100år -in swedish] *[http://laliberte1934.blogspot.se/2012_05_01_archive.html Gumpels Skerry Cruiser – La Liberte (1934) -in swedish] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093926/http://www.stockholmslansmuseum.se/faktabanken/bilder/LX2000-0377 Gumpels amfibie car (1949) -in swedish] *[http://www.expressen.se/kronikorer/sten-berglind-pa-vift-med-greta-garbo/ Gumpels Chrysler 300 (1961)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gumpel, Max}} Category:1890 births Category:1965 deaths Category:Swedish male water polo players Category:Swedish male breaststroke swimmers Category:Olympic water polo players for Sweden Category:Olympic swimmers for Sweden Category:Swimmers at the 1908 Summer Olympics Category:Water polo players at the 1912 Summer Olympics Category:Water polo players at the 1920 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic silver medalists for Sweden Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Sweden Category:Olympic medalists in water polo Category:Medalists at the 1920 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics Category:SK Neptun water polo players Category:Water polo players from Stockholm Category:SK Neptun swimmers Category:20th-century Swedish sportsmen