Don McKenzie (swimmer): Difference between revisions

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| nicknames = “Don”

| nicknames = “Don”

| national_team = United States

| national_team = United States

| occupation = Software design

| strokes = [[Breaststroke]]

| strokes = [[Breaststroke]]

| club = Bloomington Swim Club

| club = Bloomington Swim Club

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”’Donald Ward McKenzie Jr.”’ (May 11, 1947 – December 3, 2008) was an American competition [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]], Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/19804.asp |title=Passages: U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Don McKenzie, 61 |website=SwimmingWorldMagazine.com |date=December 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825214736/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/19804.asp |archive-date=August 25, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/don-mckenzie-1.html |title=Don McKenzie |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718053341/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/don-mckenzie-1.html |archive-date=2012-07-18 }}</ref>

”’Donald Ward McKenzie Jr.”’ (May 11, 1947 – December 3, 2008) was an American competition [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]], Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/19804.asp |title=Passages: U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Don McKenzie, 61 |website=SwimmingWorldMagazine.com |date=December 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825214736/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/19804.asp |archive-date=August 25, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/don-mckenzie-1.html |title=Don McKenzie |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718053341/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/don-mckenzie-1.html |archive-date=2012-07-18 }}</ref>

Doanld Ward McKenzie Jr. was born on May 11, 1947 to Donald Ward McKenzie Sr., and Clarice McKenzie in Hollywood, California.<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref name=parents>”Marriages, Baker-McKenzie Vows are Spoken”, ”The Van Guys News and Valley Greensheet”, Van Guys, California, June 12, 1964, pg. 32</ref>

===Indiana University===

===Indiana University===

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==1968 Mexico City Olympics==

==1968 Mexico City Olympics==

He competed at the [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Olympic Games]] in Mexico City, where he received a gold medal for winning the [[Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men’s 100 metre breaststroke|men’s 100-meter breaststroke]]. He won a second gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the [[Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men’s 4 x 100 metre medley relay|men’s 4×100-meter medley relay]]. The first-place team of [[Charlie Hickcox]], McKenzie, [[Doug Russell (swimmer)|Doug Russell]] and [[Ken Walsh]] set a new world-record time of 3:54.9 in the event final.<ref name=db-olymp-1968SWI>{{cite web |url=http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=17&sp=SWI |title=1968 Olympics – Mexico City, Mexico – Swimming |website=databaseOlympics.com |access-date=May 1, 2008 |archive-date=August 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820124631/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=17&sp=SWI |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He competed at the [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Olympic Games]] in Mexico City, where he received a gold medal for winning the [[Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men’s 100 metre breaststroke|men’s 100-meter breaststroke]].

He won a second gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the [[Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men’s 4 x 100 metre medley relay|men’s 4×100-meter medley relay]]. The first-place team of [[Charlie Hickcox]], McKenzie, [[Doug Russell (swimmer)|Doug Russell]] and [[Ken Walsh]] set a new world-record time of 3:54.9 in the event final.<ref name=db-olymp-1968SWI>{{cite web |url=http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=17&sp=SWI |title=1968 Olympics – Mexico City, Mexico – Swimming |website=databaseOlympics.com |access-date=May 1, 2008 |archive-date=August 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820124631/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=17&sp=SWI |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Honors===

===Honors===

American swimmer (1947–2008)

Donald Ward McKenzie Jr. (May 11, 1947 – December 3, 2008) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.[1][2]

Doanld Ward McKenzie Jr. was born on May 11, 1947 to Donald Ward McKenzie Sr., and Clarice McKenzie in Hollywood, California.[3][4]

Indiana University

McKenzie attended Indiana University, where he swam for coach Doc Counsilman‘s Indiana Hoosiers swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition during the late 1960s. He won an individual NCAA national championship in the 100-yard breaststroke while swimming for the Hoosiers.[5]

1968 Mexico City Olympics

He competed at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, where in an unexpected victory against better known Russian breaststrokers Nikolay Panking, and Vladamir Kosinsky, he received a gold medal for winning the men’s 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:07.7. In a come from behind finish, he edged out Vladamir Kosinsky by only .3 seconds.[6]

He won a second gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay. The first-place team of Charlie Hickcox, McKenzie, Doug Russell and Ken Walsh set a new world-record time of 3:54.9 in the event final.[7]

Honors

McKenzie was inducted as an “Honor Swimmer” into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1989.[8] In 2000, he was inducted into the Indiana University Hall of Fame.[9] He was also inducted posthumously into the Los Angeles Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.[10]

McKenzie continued to swim after the Olympics. He became a Masters swimmer with the Sierra Nevada Masters and held the men’s 50–54 age group 100-yard national breaststroke record with a 1:01.02 in 1998. His record stood until 2010.[11]

Post-swimming careers

As the president of Practice Management Services, he created and supported computer software and systems for medical, dental, and small businesses. He was a real estate investor, counselor, and licensee with Remcor in Reno.[3] He enjoyed the Sierra Nevada Masters and the Pacific Masters Swimming groups as well as golfing, skiing, target shooting, wood working, and racing cars.

Don was diagnosed with a Stage IV brain tumor (a glioblastoma) in the summer of 2007.[12] He died on December 3, 2008, due to complications resulting from his brain tumor and was survived by his father and mother, Don and Clarice McKenzie; wife, Syd McKenzie; children, Amy, Ryan and (Andrea), Anne, Emily, and Amanda McKenzie; new granddaughter, Naomi Mackenzie; siblings, Bob and (Kathy) McKenzie and Suzanne and (Steve) Wortman, and a loving family of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ “Passages: U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Don McKenzie, 61”. SwimmingWorldMagazine.com. December 10, 2008. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. “Don McKenzie”. Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Don W. McKenzie Jr. Obituary: View Don McKenzie’s Obituary by Reno Gazette-Journal
  4. ^ “Marriages, Baker-McKenzie Vows are Spoken”, The Van Guys News and Valley Greensheet, Van Guys, California, June 12, 1964, pg. 32
  5. ^ “Indiana University Archives”. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  6. ^ “Olympedia Biography, Don McKenzie Jr”. olypedia.org. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  7. ^ “1968 Olympics – Mexico City, Mexico – Swimming”. databaseOlympics.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  8. ^ “Don McKenzie”. ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  9. ^ Honoree: Search Awards: University Honors & Awards: Indiana University
  10. ^ “2011 Hall of Fame – Induction Class Selected!” (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2011.
  11. ^ “USMS Short Course Yard Nationals: National Records Fall In Bunches”. Swimming World News. May 23, 2010. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013.
  12. ^ “Glioblastoma”. American Brain Tumor Association. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.

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