Kenneth Marshall Walsh (born February 11, 1945) is an American former competition

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder in three events.

Career

Walsh was born in Orange, New Jersey, and grew up in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He attended

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

in East Lansing, Michigan, where he swam for coach Charles McCaffree's Michigan State Spartans swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1965 to 1967. During his three-year college career, he received twelve All-American honors, and won Big Ten Conference championships in the 100-meter freestyle (1965, 1967), 200-meter freestyle (1967), and 4×100-meter freestyle relay (1967). As a college senior in 1967, he won the NCAA national championship in the 100-yard freestyle. Later that same year, he set a new world record (52.6 seconds) in the 100-meter freestyle at the

1967 Pan American Games The 1967 Pan American Games were held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from July 23 to August 6, 1967. Winnipeg was chosen as host of the Pan American Games on its second try. It first bid for the 1963 Games at the 1959 PASO meeting in Chicago ...

. At the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

in Mexico City, Walsh won two gold medals in relay events and a silver medal in individual competition. He won the first of his two gold medals by swimming the anchor leg for the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×100-meter freestyle relay, together with teammates Zac Zorn, Stephen Rerych and Mark Spitz. He won his second gold medal by swimming the final freestyle leg for the first-place U.S. team in the men's 4×100-meter medley relay, together with teammates

Charlie Hickcox Charles Buchanan Hickcox (February 6, 1947 – June 14, 2010) was an American competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in six events. Career Hickcox was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended Indiana Uni ...

(backstroke), Don McKenzie (breaststroke), and Doug Russell (butterfly). The two U.S. relay teams set new world records in both events. Walsh also captured a silver medal for his second-place performance (52.8 seconds) in the men's 100-meter freestyle event, finishing six tenths (0.60) of a second behind winner

Mike Wenden Michael Vincent Wenden, (born 17 November 1949) is a champion swimming (sport), swimmer who represented Australia in the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1968 he won four medals: gold in both the 100- and 200-metre freestyle ( ...

of Australia, and two tenths (0.20) of a second ahead of fellow American Mark Spitz. Wenden set a new world record in the event, eclipsing Walsh's previous mark from 1967.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Ken 1945 births Living people American male freestyle swimmers World record setters in swimming Michigan State Spartans men's swimmers Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming People from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida Swimmers at the 1967 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in swimming Universiade medalists in swimming Universiade gold medalists for the United States Medalists at the 1967 Summer Universiade Medalists at the 1967 Pan American Games People from Orange, New Jersey

Career

See also

References