National team United States Role Olympic athlete Strokes Freestyle swimming Name George Harrison Weight 81 kg | College team Stanford University Height 1.83 m Sport Swimming Died October 3, 2011 Club Santa Clara Swim Club | |
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Full name George Prifold Harrison Born April 9, 1939 ( 1939-04-09 ) Berkeley, California | ||
George Prifold Harrison (April 9, 1939 – October 3, 2011) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in three events. He competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where he received a gold medal as the lead-off swimmer of the winning U.S. team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Harrison, together with his American relay teammates Dick Blick, Mike Troy and Jeff Farrell, set a new world record of 8:10.2 in the event final.
Individually Harrison won a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the 1959 Pan American Games. He also held the world record in 200-meter individual medley (long course) from August 24, 1956 to July 19, 1958, and the world record in the 400-meter individual medley (long course) from June 24, 1960 to July 22, 1960.
Harrison studied at Acalanes High School, and in 1965 graduated from Stanford University, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and was later inducted into the Swimming Hall of Fame. He spent most of his career with Lee & Associates at Pleasanton, California, working in investment and industrial brokerage. At the time of his death, from complications during surgery, he lived in Moraga, California. He was survived by his wife of 50 years, Susan, daughters Karen and Kristen, son Michael, and daughter-in-law Karen. He also had a brother Robert.