Updated:2008-05-13 09:33 | Source:beijing2008
Mexico City, 23 October 1968: Michael BURTON of the United States, 1st, in action in the 400m freestyle swimming during the Games of the XIX Olympiad. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections |
Born: 3 June 1947
Birthplace: Des Moines (United States)
Nationality: United States
Sport: Aquatics
ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
Mexico 1968
Munich 1972
AWARDS
Olympic medals:
Gold: 3
Swimming Through Adversity
The son of a truck driver, Mike Burton's swimming career began when, at the age of thirteen, he was hit head-on by a truck while bicycling. After spending eight weeks in a hospital with a dislocated hip and torn ligaments in his right leg, he was told that swimming was the only sport he could pursue. Burton qualified for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in two events.
The day before the qualifying heats for the 400m, Burton woke up feeling nauseated and later fainted in an elevator in the Olympic Village. He qualified anyway. In the final, Burton took charge before the halfway mark and pulled away to win by more than 2 ½ seconds. Three days later, Burton, now fully recovered, won the 1,500m by 18.4 seconds, a margin of victory that has not been matched since. Burton returned to the Olympics in 1972 to defend his 1,500m title.
This time, he moved ahead of Graham Windeatt of Australia after 1,200m and just barely set a world record to secure the third gold medal of his career.
(Credit: IOC. Click here for further information.)