Tim McKee
Encyclopedia
Alexander Timothy "Tim" McKee (born March 14, 1953) is a former American college and international swimmer
who was a three-time Olympic
silver medal
ist.
. His family moved to Newtown Square so that he and his siblings could walk through a path in their backyard to Suburban Swim Club to practice. He attended Malvern Prep School and then the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he swam for coach Bill Harlan's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) competition from 1972 to 1974. As a Gator swimmer, McKee won six NCAA titles and received four All-American honors.
in Munich, Germany, McKee won a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley
losing by a margin of 0.002 of a second to the gold medal winner, Sweden's Gunnar Larsson—initially, the scoreboard showed he had tied with Larsson who was named the eventual winner (swimming now typically times down to the hundredth of a second, not the thousandth). He also garnered a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley at the 1972 Games.
He also came in second in 400-meter individual medley event at the 1976 Olympics
, after gold medalist Rod Strachan
.
as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1998. He is a veteran celebrity swimmer for Swim Across America (SAA), a charitable organization that raises funds for cancer research, and has participated in sixteen SAA events.
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
who was a three-time Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
ist.
Early life and education
McKee was born in Ardmore, PennsylvaniaArdmore, Pennsylvania
Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...
. His family moved to Newtown Square so that he and his siblings could walk through a path in their backyard to Suburban Swim Club to practice. He attended Malvern Prep School and then the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he swam for coach Bill Harlan's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) competition from 1972 to 1974. As a Gator swimmer, McKee won six NCAA titles and received four All-American honors.
International swimming career
At the 1972 OlympicsSwimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, West Germany, 29 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 532 participants from 52 countries competing....
in Munich, Germany, McKee won a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley
Medley swimming
Medley is a combination of four different swimming styles into one race. This race is either swum by one swimmer as individual medley or by four swimmers as a medley relay...
losing by a margin of 0.002 of a second to the gold medal winner, Sweden's Gunnar Larsson—initially, the scoreboard showed he had tied with Larsson who was named the eventual winner (swimming now typically times down to the hundredth of a second, not the thousandth). He also garnered a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley at the 1972 Games.
He also came in second in 400-meter individual medley event at the 1976 Olympics
Swimming at the 1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montréal, Canada, 26 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 471 participants from 51 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:...
, after gold medalist Rod Strachan
Rod Strachan
Rodney Strachan is an American swimmer and olympic champion. He competed at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, where he received a gold medal in the 400 m individual medley...
.
Life after swimming
McKee was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1987, and the International Swimming Hall of FameInternational Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1998. He is a veteran celebrity swimmer for Swim Across America (SAA), a charitable organization that raises funds for cancer research, and has participated in sixteen SAA events.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Olympians