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| Full name | Kenneth Marshall Walsh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | "Ken" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1945-02-11)February 11, 1945 (age 80) Orange, New Jersey, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Phillips 66 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Michigan State University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Charles McCaffree (MSU) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Kenneth Marshall Walsh (born February 11, 1945) is an American former competitionswimmer for Michigan State University, a two-time 1968 Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder in three events.
Walsh was born inOrange, New Jersey, and grew up inPonte Vedra Beach, Florida. He attendedMichigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, where he swam for coachCharles McCaffree'sMichigan State Spartans swimming and diving team inNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1965 to 1967.[1] During his three-year college career, he received twelveAll-American honors, and wonBig 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 the1967 Pan American Games.[2]
At the1968 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 CoachDon 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 themen's 4×100-meter freestyle relay, together with teammatesZac Zorn,Stephen Rerych andMark Spitz. He won his second gold medal by swimming the final freestyle leg for the first-place U.S. team in themen's 4×100-meter medley relay, together with teammatesCharlie Hickcox (backstroke),Don McKenzie (breaststroke), andDoug 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 themen's 100-meter freestyle event, finishing six tenths (0.60) of a second behind winnerMike 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]
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| Preceded by | Men's 100-meter freestyle world record-holder (long course) July 27, 1967 – October 19, 1968 | Succeeded by |
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