Mike Burton has died; the swimming world mourns the three-time Olympic champion

The swimming world is in mourning. Mike Burton, the American legend and three-time Olympic champion, has died at the age of 79. The announcement was made by his son Eric in a Facebook post, in which he also recalled his father’s long battle with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Burton wrote an important chapter in American Olympic history, becoming the first U.S. swimmer to win the gold medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle at two consecutive Olympic Games. He first achieved this in Mexico City in 1968 and then in Munich in 1972, where he completed his second consecutive victory in the event while also setting the world record.

His international career, however, unfolded during a period particularly rich in star athletes. At the Munich Olympics, his successes were partly overshadowed by the seven gold medals won by his compatriot Mark Spitz and by the tragedy of the terrorist attack on the Olympic Village, which shook those Games.

Burton had already made his mark four years earlier. In Mexico City, despite not being in peak physical condition, he won gold in the 400-meter freestyle after a hard-fought race against Canada’s Ralph Hutton. He then dominated the 1,500-meter race, finishing a full 18 seconds ahead of his compatriot John Kinsella—a margin that has never been matched in the Olympic history of the event.