Ken Walsh

For other people named Kenneth Walsh, see Kenneth Walsh (disambiguation).

Ken Walsh
Personal information
Full nameKenneth Marshall Walsh
Nickname"Ken"
National teamUnited States
Born (1945-02-11) February 11, 1945 (age 79)
Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubPhillips 66
College teamMichigan State University
CoachCharles McCaffree (MSU)
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1968 Mexico City 4x100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1968 Mexico City 4x100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 1968 Mexico City 100 m freestyle
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1967 Winnipeg 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1967 Winnipeg 4×100 m medley
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1967 Tokyo 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1967 Tokyo 4×100 m medley
Representing Michigan State Spartans
NCAA Championships
Gold medal – first place 1967 East Lansing 100 yard freestyle

Kenneth Marshall Walsh (born February 11, 1945) is an American former competition swimmer for Michigan State University, a two-time 1968 Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder in three events.

Career

Swimming for Michigan

Walsh was born in Orange, New Jersey, and grew up in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He attended Michigan State University 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.[1] 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.[2]

Later that same year, he set a new world record (52.6 seconds) in the 100-meter freestyle at the 1967 Pan American Games.[2]

1968 Mexico Olympics

At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Walsh won two gold medals in relay events and a silver medal in individual competition. He was managed and trained at the Olympics by Hall of Fame Coach Don Gambril.[3] Some of his preparatory time for the Olympics may have also been with Gambril who coached the Phillips 66 swim club from 1967-71 when Walsh was in his peak training years for the Olympics and Pan American games. Walsh won the first of his two Olympic 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 (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 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.[2][4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Michigan State University Archives, Charles McCaffree Jr". Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ken Walsh". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
  3. ^ "Swimmers Take Pride in Country", Progress Bulletin, Pomona, California, 5 September 1968, pg. 34
  4. ^ "Olympedia Bio, Ken Walsh". Retrieved July 7, 2024.


Records
Preceded by Men's 100-meter freestyle
world record-holder (long course)
July 27, 1967 – October 19, 1968 		Succeeded by