I probably have left out some of people's favorites. If so, please check other and indicate in your reply. And excuse my spellings where incorrect. :) Thanks.
Swiminton:
I see you went back as far as 1992 with Mike Barrowman. Here are some additions to the list of other.
Nelson Diebel - 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 100 Meter.
Jeremy Linn
Sergio Lopez
Rocque Santos
Eric Wonderlich
Mark Gangloft
Kurt Grote
Roman Slodnov
Scott Usher
Pat Calhoun
Here's another oldtimer memory. The most exciting Swimming race I ever saw was the 1968 Olympic 200 ***. Felipe Munoz was the only Mexican to win a Gold at those Games and the last 50 when he was heading for the lead it sounded like the entire nation was screaming "MEXICO" every time he took a breath. Watching it on TV it gave me chills.
No Barroman didn't really invent anything. He practically perfected "wave" breaststroke but he didn't invent it. His coach Nagy is often credited with inventing the wave,but Taguchi of Japan won the 100 at the 72 Olympics with a wave stroke. He also,like his successor Kitajima was notorious for his illegal dolphin kick.
Originally posted by Allen Stark
How about Chet Jastremski who essentially invented the whip kick and was the first one under 1:00 for 100 yds. He was my hero in the 60's
I don't know the history that goes back to that early, but I thought it was Barrowman that invented the whip kick? Just something I heard.
Steve Lundquist was an awesome breaststroker in the late 70's and early 80's! If we had not boycotted the Moscow Olympics at the height of his career, more people would know his name. He grew up in the Atlanta area with me and I used to love to watch him swim at our meets. He was fun to look at out of the water too! ;)
A few "other" names of great breaststrokers:
I can't believe Lundquist wasn't on the original list. The guy was simply incredible. I don't doubt that he could train for 2 months today and qualify for Olympic Trials...
www.ishof.org/90slundquist.html
David Wilkie of Scotland/GBR was a fantastic breaststroker - he won the '76 Olympics at Montreal with a still-impressive 2:14.
www.ishof.org/82dwilkie.html
Also, reaching WAAY back, Peter Fogarassy who swam for NC State might have won the '60 games had he been eligible to swim for the US. A Hungarian refugee, his times were faster by several seconds than the winning time in Rome.
gopack.collegesports.com/.../051905aaa.html
Though overshadowed by Lundquist, John Moffett was one impressive athlete in the late '70's early '80's. A member of the star-crossed '80 US Olympic team, he won the '84 US Olympic Trials, only to suffer a mysterious thigh injury prior to the LA finals, which were won by Lundquist. As a 14 year old, he scored in the 200 breaststroke at Fort Lauderdale Senior Nationals.
www-leland.stanford.edu/.../9811sf01.shtml
John Hencken swam in the '84 trials, 12 years after winning gold at the Munich games. He made 3 US Olympic teams, a Santa Clara/Stanford alumnus.
www.ishof.org/88jhencken.html
Brian Job had an impressive collegiate career in the early '70s, using a powerful DPS style. Another Santa Clara/Stanford alum, he became an internet zillionaire in teh late '90s.
www.job1.com/.../wp_00989c20.html
USMS's own David Guthrie holds masters World Records in 3 age groups currently. Not bad for the 1980 NAIA champion.
www.hendrix.edu/.../athletics.aspx
