Full name John Maurer Nelson Name John Nelson College team Yale University Weight 66 kg | Sport Swimming Height 1.78 m National team United States Role Olympic athlete Strokes Freestyle swimming | |
Born June 8, 1948 (age 75) ( 1948-06-08 ) Chicago, Illinois Olympic medals Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metre freestyle People also search for Michael Wenden, Don Schollander, Bob Windle, Allan Wood | ||
Education Pompano Beach High School | ||
John Maurer Nelson (born June 8, 1948) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.
Nelson was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Pompano Beach High School in Pompano Beach, Florida. He enrolled in Yale University, where he swam for coach Phil Moriarty's Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving team, which included other Olympic-caliber swimmers such as Don Schollander.
At the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Nelson received a silver medal for his second-place finish in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle. Four years later, he competed at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, where he received a gold medal in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay beside his teammates Stephen Rerych, Mark Spitz and Schollander. In individual competition, he received the bronze medal for his third-place finish in the men's 200-meter freestyle.
Nelson improved the world record on the 400-meter freestyle (long course) on August 18, 1966 (4:11.8), only to be beaten by Schollander, his American teammate, on the same day (4:11.6).