John Kinsella (swimmer)

Last updated
John Kinsella
John Kinsella (swimmer).jpg
Kinsella around age 20, in Hinsdale warmup, 1972
Personal information
Full nameJohn Pitann Kinsella
National teamUnited States
Born (1952-08-26) August 26, 1952 (age 72)
Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight201 lb (91 kg)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle
ClubHinsdale Swim Club
College team Indiana University
Coach Doc Counsilman, (Indiana U)
Don Watson (Hinsdale Central)
Medal record
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Olympic rings.svg
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1972 Munich 4×200 m relay
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1968 Mexico City 1500 m freestyle

John Pitann Kinsella (born August 26, 1952) is an American former competition swimmer for Indiana University, a 1968 Olympic silver, and 1972 Olympic gold medalist, and a former world record-holder in multiple events.

Contents

Kinsella was a standout at Illinois swimming powerhouse Hinsdale Central High School in the late 1960s. From 1967-70 greater Chicago's Hindale Central, often aided by Kinsella, won the Illinois State Championships by significant margins. [1] In a unique achievement as a High School Senior in 1970, he became the first person to swim 1,500 meters in under 16 minutes. [2]

Indiana University

After graduating from high school, Kinsella, together with Mark Spitz, Gary Hall Sr., and other notable swimmers, were part of Doc Counsilman's legendary Indiana Hoosiers swimming and diving team at Indiana University, which dominated men's college swimming in the early 1970s. At Indiana, Kinsella lettered with the swimming team each year from 1971 through 1974 and served as Indiana's co-captain in 1974. In the early 1970's, Kinsella helped lead Indiana to four Big Ten and three NCAA national team championships. As a freestyler, with a total of 16 titles, he captured 11 Big Ten individual championships and five relay championships, and placed first in six NCAA individual championships as well as two relay championships. [3]

As a career milestone, he was the American record holder in both the 500 and 1,650 freestyles. [3]

Kinsella won NCAA national championships in the 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle events in 1971, 1972, and 1973. [4] [2]

1968, 1972 Olympic medalist

As a 16-year-old high school swimmer, Kinsella was the silver medalist in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, finishing second to U.S. teammate Mike Burton.

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, Kinsella won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay. The first-place team of Kinsella, Fred Tyler, Steve Genter, and Mark Spitz set a new world-record time of 7:35.78 in the event final. John Murphy, a fellow 1972 Olympic Gold medalist, also swam for both Hinsdale Central High School, and Indiana University with Kinsella. [5] [4]

After graduating from Indiana University, Kinsella went on to swim professionally, setting a time record for swimming the English Channel. [2]

Honors

In 1970, while still a high school senior swimming for Hinsdale Central High School and the Hinsdale McDonald's Swim Club under coach Don Watson, he was awarded the Amateur Athletic Union's James E. Sullivan Award in recognition of the outstanding American amateur athlete of the year. The exclusive honor is not frequently awarded to High School age athletes. [2]

He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1986 as an "Honor Swimmer" in recognition of his Olympic performances and professional swimming career where he achieved the title of "World's Professional Champion." [2]

After the end of his competitive swimming career, Kinsella attended Harvard Business School. He joined RBC Dain Rauscher as an investment officer, but is no longer with the firm. He currently resides in Illinois. He has a daughter and three sons. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Spitz</span> American Olympic swimmer (born 1950)

Mark Andrew Spitz is an American former competitive swimmer and nine-time Olympic champion. He was the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, winning seven gold medals, each in world-record time. This achievement set a record that lasted for 36 years, until it was surpassed by fellow American Michael Phelps, who won eight golds at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Phelps, like Spitz, set seven world records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Montgomery (swimmer)</span> American swimmer

James Paul Montgomery is an American former competition swimmer, four-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. Montgomery was the first man to break the 50-second barrier (49.99) in the 100-meter freestyle, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, where he won three gold medals and one bronze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Naber</span> American swimmer (born 1956)

John Phillips Naber is an American former competitive swimmer, five-time Olympic medalist and former world record-holder in multiple events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hencken</span> American swimmer (born 1954)

John Frederick Hencken is an American former competition swimmer for Stanford University, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder primarily in the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke events. Hencken won five Olympic medals during his career in the 1972 Munich, and 1976 Montreal Olympics, including three golds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Tyler</span> American swimmer and coach

Frederick Daniel Tyler is an American competitive swimmer and aquatics coach, winner of several high school and college championships and a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 1972 Summer Olympics and author.

Thomas Michael Jager is an American former competition swimmer. He is five-time Olympic gold medalist in relay events, a two-time World Championship individual gold medalist for the 50-meter freestyle, and a former world record-holder in two events. Jager set the 50-meter freestyle world record on six occasions during his career. He held this record for over ten years from August 1989 to June 2000.

Kenneth Marshall Walsh is an American former competition swimmer for Michigan State University, a two-time 1968 Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder in three events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Genter</span> American swimmer (born 1951)

Robert Steven Genter is an American former competition swimmer and three-time Olympic medalist. He was a freestyle specialist who earned a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He also won silver medals at the Munich Olympics in the 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle events.

John Joseph Murphy is an American former backstroke and freestyle swimmer who attended Indiana University and won a gold in the 4x100 freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Beginning around the mid-80's, he worked as a CPA in New Mexico, and coached age group swimming in Los Alamos and Santa Fe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Clark (swimmer)</span> American swimmer (born 1943)

Stephen Edward Clark is an American former competition swimmer for Yale University, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Furniss</span> American swimmer (born 1957)

Bruce MacFarlane Furniss is a former American amateur competition swimmer, Olympic double gold medalist, and ten-time world record-holder in four events. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, he won the Men's 200-meter Freestyle and was a member of the winning U.S. team in the Men's 4×200-meter Freestyle Relay, both in world record time. Furniss broke ten world and nineteen American records, and won eleven Amateur Athletic Union and six NCAA titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Russell (swimmer)</span> American swimmer (born 1946)

Douglas Albert Russell is an American former competitive swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in three different events.

John Maurer Nelson is an American former competition swimmer for Yale University, a 1964 Olympic medalist, a 1968 Olympic champion, and a former world record-holder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Heidenreich</span> American swimmer (1950–2002)

Jerome Alan Heidenreich was an American competition swimmer for Southern Methodist University, a 1972 Munich Olympic champion, and a former world record-holder. He set six world records during his swimming career, all as a relay team member.

David Holmes "Dave" Edgar is an American former swimmer, 1972 Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. In a period of seven years, he lost only one 50-yard race, due to a faulty starting block. Excelling in the efficiency of his flip turn technique under the mentorship of Coach Ray Bussard at the University of Tennessee, many consider Edgar one of the greatest short course 50 and 100-yard sprinters of the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Strachan</span>

Rodney Strachan is an American former high school and college competition swimmer, 1976 Olympic gold medalist, and physician with a specialization in internal medicine.

Joseph Stuart Bottom is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic silver medalist, and former world record-holder in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly and 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ferris (swimmer)</span> American swimmer (1949–2020)

John Edward Ferris was an American competition swimmer, for Stanford University, a winer of two bronze medals in the 1968 Olympics, and a one time world record-holder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Backhaus</span> American swimmer

Robin James Backhaus is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder.

Juan Carlos Bello is a Peruvian former butterfly, freestyle and medley swimmer. He was an outstanding competitor for the University of Michigan swim team and represented Peru at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics. He later worked as a coach and served as the President of the National Swimming Foundation of Peru.

References

  1. ↑ "Kinsella, Hinsdale Dominate Swim Meet", The Dispatch, Moline, Illinois, 2 March 1970, pg. 21
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "International Swimming Hall of Fame, Bio, John Kinsella". ishof.org.
  3. 1 2 "Indiana University Athletic Hall of Fame". iuhoosiers.com.
  4. 1 2 "Olympedia Bio, John Kinsella". olympedia.org.
  5. ↑ Fornek, Kimberly, "Games Through the Eyes of an Olympian", Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, 11 August 2016, pg. 14
Records
Preceded by Men's 400-meter freestyle
world record-holder (long course)
August 20, 1970 – September 7, 1970		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's 1,500-meter freestyle
world record-holder (long course)
August 23, 1970 – August 6, 1972		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.