Mike Burton (swimmer)
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Michael Jay Burton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | "Iron Mike" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Des Moines, Iowa | July 3, 1947|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 154 lb (70 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Arden Hills Swim Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College team | University of California, Los Angeles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Michael Jay Burton (born July 3, 1947) is an American swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two freestyle distance events.[1]
When he was an eighth grader he was hit by a furniture truck while riding a bicycle with a friend. Earlier he loved to play football and basketball, but the injuries due to this accident made him abandon contact sports, and left swimming as one of the few fitness options.[2]
Burton graduated from
Burton won two gold medals in individual events at the
At the Munich Games, Burton loved to start out fast and was the early leader even over Australian star Graham Windeatt. Yet, Windeatt fought back and regained the lead. Burton overtook Windeatt on the closing lengths, broke Rick DeMont's world record and won the gold medal for himself and the United States.[6]
The celebration in Munich of his historic repeat, however, was overshadowed by Mark Spitz's performance at those Games and by the terrorist attack on the Olympic Village, which occurred the day after his race.
Burton coached at The Evergreen Swim Team in Olympia, WA until 1997, and then at the Seahawks in Billings, Montana, at the local YMCA until 2007. His daughter Loni embarked on her own successful swimming career. She is one of two swimmers in NCAA history to win twelve individual titles. She performed the feat in three years as Division II swimmers are eligible to participate in four individual events versus three in Division I and III.[citation needed]
He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1977.[2]
See also
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of University of California, Los Angeles people
- World record progression 800 metres freestyle
- World record progression 1500 metres freestyle
References
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mike Burton". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
- ^ a b "Mike Burton (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame.[dead link]
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mike Burton". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
- ^ a b "Four Bruins Named to All-Century Team". February 11, 2016.
- ^ Ralph Hickok (January 16, 2010). "World University Games Men's Swimming Medalists". HickokSports.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
- ^ a b "Lessons from Legends: Mike Burton and Rick DeMont, Performance Greatness". USA Swimming. Retrieved 2017-03-20.