Douglas Russell
Encyclopedia
Douglas Albert Russell is an Olympic Champion butterfly swimmer from the United States
, who won the first ever gold medal in the men's 100m butterfly - an event which made its debut at the 1968 Summer Olympics
(in an upset over Mark Spitz
). He also won gold in the 4x100m medley relay.
- Russell attended the University of Texas at Arlington
(UTA), where he swam in intercollege competition.
He began swimming in high school for Midland
, swimming in the new 50m "Alamo" pool built by the city in 1962. It was later renamed in his honor to the "Douglas Russell Swimming Pool" He was an all round swimmer in high school and later at Arlington
- swimming competitively in butterfly, backstroke, and individual medley events. Other school swimmers of the era remember him as a tough competitor who was hard to beat but who brought out the best in swimmers around him.
At UTA, Russell swam under coach Don Easterling in the Burford Swim team. Other notable members who joined the team were 1972 Olympic Champion Jerry Heidenreich
who came to swim specifically with Russell on the team.
Doug Russell Park, on the southern border of the UTA campus, is named in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, who won the first ever gold medal in the men's 100m butterfly - an event which made its debut at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics
At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 29 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 468 participants from 51 countries competing. The United States dominated the competition, winning 52 of 87 medals.-Medal table:-Men's events:...
(in an upset over Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz
Mark Andrew Spitz is a retired American swimmer. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics....
). He also won gold in the 4x100m medley relay.
Early Swimming
Born in Midland, TexasMidland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
- Russell attended the University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
(UTA), where he swam in intercollege competition.
He began swimming in high school for Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
, swimming in the new 50m "Alamo" pool built by the city in 1962. It was later renamed in his honor to the "Douglas Russell Swimming Pool" He was an all round swimmer in high school and later at Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
- swimming competitively in butterfly, backstroke, and individual medley events. Other school swimmers of the era remember him as a tough competitor who was hard to beat but who brought out the best in swimmers around him.
At UTA, Russell swam under coach Don Easterling in the Burford Swim team. Other notable members who joined the team were 1972 Olympic Champion Jerry Heidenreich
Jerry Heidenreich
Jerry Heidenreich was an American swimmer and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where he received a gold medal in 4×100 m medley relay, and a gold medal in 4×100 m freestyle relay. He received a silver medal in 100 m freestyle, and a...
who came to swim specifically with Russell on the team.
Doug Russell Park, on the southern border of the UTA campus, is named in his honor.