In 1971, Swenson only placed third in the AAU outdoor meet (behindJuris Luzins and Jamaica'sByron Dyce); however, he won gold at thePan American Games inCali, running 1:48.08.[3][6] At the 1972Olympic Trials Swenson ran 1:45.1, his best time since 1970; he lost toDave Wottle (who equaled the world record of 1:44.3) andRick Wohlhuter, but took the third and final Olympic qualifying spot ahead of early leaderJim Ryun.[6][9] At the Olympics inMunich Swenson qualified from his heat, but was disqualified in the semi-finals.[1]
Swenson continued his career for several more years; in March 1975 he joined theInternational Track Association (ITA), a professional circuit.[10][note 2] Swenson set his personal best for themile run, 3:59.1, in an ITA meet on May 3, 1975; he was the 75th American to run afour-minute mile.[11]
^The previous record wasJim Ryun's 1:44.9 from 1966. Ryun's time had been set at 880 yards (804.672 m), and was worth about 1:44.3 for 800 m.[7]
^At the time, track and field was primarily anamateur sport, and most athletes only received under-the-table money. Professional athletes were not allowed to compete in the Olympics or other amateur meetings.
